Creatively engaging older adults by drawing like Matisse

Channeling Matisse! 

During a 5-week artist residency at the Jewish Federation of Greater Harrisburg, I am teaching artist for a group of 18 older adults. They’ve been open to every creative endeavor put in front of them – from drawing their breath to drumming in response to photographs and now drawing like famed French fauvist artist, Matisse.

For this artistic challenge, I asked participants to come to class with a paragraph of text. The artists learned how Matisse drew masterpieces holding a 6’ bamboo stick with charcoal stuffed into the tip. Inspired, they set to work on canvas using their paragraph of text as subject matter.

Matisse drawing with a charcoal-tipped bamboo stick.

What fun!….to embrace the imperfections created using this unique, challenging technique.

The artist residency focused on creative aging is an Arts in Education program of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and Jump Street, and a research initiative of the Pennsylvania Department of Aging.