Ivy in Flower 1941

Henri Matisse made "Ivy in Flower" with oil on canvas, but when? Who knows! I like that. Matisse is such a master of making it look easy. I find his loose brushstrokes and simplified forms so inspiring. Look at that vase—how it’s more like a suggestion of a vase, and the way the ivy feels both flat and full of life. It’s like he’s not trying to copy nature, but to capture its spirit. I'm struck by the blue cup and saucer, a little area of intense color that sits so comfortably against the yellow table top. It’s a reminder that art isn’t about perfection; it’s about feeling and seeing in a new way. It reminds me of Morandi, another painter who found endless fascination in simple, everyday objects. Art is always just a conversation that keeps going, and changing.