The Swimmers: Making Paper Cut-Outs Inspired by Henri Matisse

In the later part of his life, wheel-chair bound and unable to fully take care of himself, Henri Matisse began to experiment with collage and paper cutouts as a way of continuing to make art. Sometimes representational and sometimes abstract, his bold, simple shapes became iconic of his style, and his collages remain some of his best-loved work. In Ana Bianchi’s latest children’s book - part biographical vignette, part activity guide - kids will read first of Matisse’s life and the circumstances that led to his paper cut-outs, then get a step-by-step guide to creating their own Matisse-style collages.