Historical, Culturally Diverse, Standards-Based Art Lessons to Inspire Young Artists

(949) 215-1064

Meet the Masters
  • 35 Artist Units
  • How It Works
  • šŸ–¼ļø Gallery
  • Jobs
  • About Us
    • About Meet The Masters
    • 😊 Testimonials
    • Standards-Based
    • News / Tips / Blog
    • FAQ’s / Help
    • Job Openings
    • Value-Based Art Lessons
  • Contact
Get Pricing

More results...

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors

Who needs a paintbrush when you have scissors? (Henri Matisse)

Posted on 12 Mar at 9:52 am

Meet Henri Matisse.

The French master of bold colors, playful shapes, and art that makes you feel happy.Ā 

He started as a painter but discovered a whole new way to create… by cutting shapes out of colored paper and arranging them into stunning, abstract designs.

He called it ā€œdrawing with scissors.ā€

Why is Matisse’s art so special?

  • He turned simple paper and scissors into masterpieces.
  • His bright, bold cutouts inspire joy and imagination.
  • His famous works, like The Snail and Beasts of the Sea, prove that art doesn’t have to look realistic to be powerful.

What will your students learn from Matisse?

  • The power of abstract shapes to express emotions.
  • How to create contrast using positive and negative space.
  • A hands-on approach to storytelling through color and form.
Henri Matisse Art Lesson
Students cut their own “sea stories” after being inspired by Henri Matisse. The above was created by a 4th grader.

 

In your classroom, students can:

  • Cut and arrange their own colorful, abstract shapes.
  • Use Matisse’s technique to create undersea landscapes or bold collages.
  • Explore how colors interact and how movement can be shown without lines.

No need for paint… just scissors, paper, and imagination.Ā 

This project is perfect for all grade levels and teaches students to think like artists.

Want to see how other students have brought Matisse’s style to life?Ā 

Check out even more student masterpieces in the Student Gallery.

Bonus: Video of Matisse “cutting” his next masterpiece!

Let’s make art that moves!

Meet the Masters
Inspire – Educate – Create

ps.Ā  Are you following MTM on Instagram or TikTok? šŸ˜Ž


Dig Deeper:

  • 35Ā Master Artists – Easy to Implement
  • Importance of Standards-Based Lessons
  • Why Our Founder Started MTM in 1985
  • Hear from Happy Students, Parents and Teachers
  • Get a Custom Quote for Your School
Previous Post
History lessons are better with scissors and glue (Jacob Lawrence)
Next Post
How Michelangelo changed the future of architecture

Recent Posts

  • This lesson teaches how to see, not just paint (Georgia O’Keeffe)
  • Inspiring Art Education: The Meet the Masters Approach
  • Incorporate Art Learning in Student’s Education and See the Difference
  • What do haystacks and fireworks have in common? (Claude Monet)
  • Could your students create a masterpiece with just 5 sticks? (Mondrian)

Categories

  • Artists (51)
  • Blog (188)
  • Fun (6)
  • Funding (15)
  • General (31)
  • History (3)
  • In the News (74)
  • Newsletter (28)
  • People (9)
  • Research (17)
  • Testimonials (1)

Add your email to get special savings, art tips and MTM news!

Sign Up

About Meet the Masters

Meet the Masters has 40 years of experience providing interactive, multi-media art education to elementary school students worldwide. Learn more.

Facebook
Instagram
TikTok
Pinterest
X
YouTube
LinkedIn
MTM Homeschool Version
MTM Virtual Learning

Everyone Loves MTM!

On behalf of all the teachers and students of dePortola Elementary School, I’d like to commend you for providing an outstanding first year of Meet the Masters for our school. The quality of your program is excellent. The teachers felt their students truly learned to recognize the works and styles of the great masters that they were introduced to. We appreciated the variety of classroom art projects presented.

Our lecturer was well liked by teachers and students. She is professional and responsive to each age group of students. I also found her to be excellent as our coordinator and workshop presenter. We felt very fortunate that she was with us.

Our principal has also been enthusiastic and supportive of the Meet the Masters program. We both will always be pleased to recommend your program to other elementary schools.

Suzanne Helmstetter
Teacher, dePortola Elementary School
More MTM Testimonials

Contact Us

We would be honored to talk to you about bringing Meet the Masters to your school. There is a live person excited to give you more details about our curriculum. Contact us today!

Contact us

Ā© Copyright 1985-2025 Meet the Masters. All Rights Reserved.

  • 35 Artist Units
  • How It Works
  • šŸ–¼ļø Gallery
  • Jobs
  • About Us
  • Contact

Sitemap