Woman holding umbrella 1919

Henri Matisse painted "Woman holding umbrella" with oil on canvas. Look at how the brushstrokes build up, thick and visible, creating the image. It's all about the process, the doing of painting, the layers. Notice how the blues in her dress echo the sea behind her. The texture makes the surface sing. See that bit of red in the bottom corner, like a little spark? Matisse isn’t trying to hide anything; he's showing us how he’s seeing and feeling. It’s as if he's saying, here is a record of this moment in paint. Matisse reminds me of Bonnard; both were wizards with colour and emotion. This piece isn’t trying to nail down one idea, it’s open and alive, like art should be.