Studying Matisse

'Oranges at Sea' 11x14 pastel ©Karen Margulis

I have been reading my big Matisse book that I got last year at the Art Institute of Chicago. I love Matisse and always have. I am drawn to the way he uses color and the way he simplified his subjects. We will be having a 'Matisse Night' in our next pastel class so I am studying his works in preparation for the class. This painting is done from a photo I took on a cruise. The girl was slicing oranges out on the pool deck. I loved the colors of the oranges and all of the blues in the sky and sea. I decided to use the colors in the Matisse painting 'Still Life on a Green Sideboard' and make them work in my painting. I used a piece of reclaimed Wallis...one I had scrubbed and did an alcohol wash over the remaining pastel. It was a nice middle gray. I like this color palette and will try it with another subject while I still have all the pastels out in my tray!