Feuillage 1948

Henri Matisse made 'Feuillage' with ink on paper back in 1949, and right away I feel like I can see the hand of the artist at play. Those confident black lines outlining the leaves aren't just describing shapes; they're dancing! The artist has carefully constructed this image through a shifting and emerging kind of intuitive process. I can imagine Matisse, brush in hand, totally absorbed, deciding which lines to emphasize and how to create a sense of depth with so little tonal variation. It's so simple, yet so full of life. It reminds me that painting, like life, is about embracing the beauty of imperfection. We artists are always building on each other's ideas across time, in an ongoing conversation that inspires our creativity. Matisse shows us that a few strokes of ink can capture the essence of nature and the spirit of the artist.