Matisse's Obsession with Textiles

And we thought Matisse was "just a painter"...

However, his textile related background exerted a profound influence

on his art. This passion for textiles not only stimulated his creativity
but allowed him to "find his true artistic voice".

Mimosa Tapestry - Matisse Textile

Matisse, His Art and His Textiles. The Fabric of Dreams - "The premise of 'Matisse, His Art and His Textiles' [the exhibition] is that textiles were 'the key to (Matisse's) visual imagination'."
http://www.studio-international.co.uk/painting/matisse_textiles.asp

Schmattes of Matisse: Painter Was Obsessed With Textile Design - Hilton Kramer - "...textiles have all along been the key to a full understanding of Matisse’s art..."
http://www.observer.com/node/37415

How a Renown Painter Found Inspiration in Cloth - Roberta Smith - "Matisse...first encountered some of the salient characteristics of his own art in textile form."
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0CE7D81F3BF937A15755C0A9639C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=2

Not just a man of the cloth - Laura Cumming - "Matisse was the son of textile workers...he was at home with the fabrics, surrounded by swatches, understanding their fluidity, weight and drape. He began collecting the stuff in his youth and by the end of his life had an archive so vast - 'my working library' he called it - and so ceaselessly replenished by trips to flea markets and tailors, bazaars in Morocco and Algeria, to the end-of-season sales at French couturiers, that a whole room of his flat in Nice was given over to fabrics."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2005/mar/06/art

Matisse's debt to textiles revealed - Maev Kennedy  - "Rainbow-coloured textiles were what rescued Henri Matisse from the flat, muddy sugar beet fields of northern France and made him one of the best loved artists of the 20th century."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2005/mar/02/arts.artsnews

Your Artistic Voice or Style

"I think finding your voice is making the implicit explicit.
It is making what you already know on a subconscious level conscious and repeatable."
 Jessie Carty


At one time or another, we all as artists have expressed concern about whether or not (and the extent to which) our artwork is readily identifiable as our own; about whether or not we have found our artistic "voice" or have developed a recognizable "style". I know I've found my voice, but identifiable style...I'm not so sure. Frankly, I've stopped worrying about it.

Following are several excellent articles on this topic...

How to Develop Your Artistic Style - This article has good tips, including, "Look around at whatever trend is happening in your artistic medium. Brainstorm on what the exact opposite of that cliché and play with that idea...This trains your brain to think in another way and makes your art fresh and unique."
http://news.deviantart.com/article/42054/  

How do you find your own style without adopting the style of your teachers? - answered from the perspective of painting, but completely relevant for textile artists - "...look for the unique aspects in your own art—and at first it will definitely be the flaws, or the things you think aren’t quite right. Maybe your perspective is a little strange, or you tend to create extra dark shadows. . . then think about whether you’d like to emphasize that aspect of your work, or eliminate it."
http://emptyeasel.com/2007/03/14/art-question-answer-how-to-find-your-own-artistic-style/
 
How Do You Find Your Own Art Style? - Amanda Seydahelm - examines the four elements she thinks are key - included is this one: "Ponder A Big Question...If you find yourself comparing your art with other artists it may be that your question isn’t clear enough or big enough to engage you fully. Stretch yourself."
http://quazen.com/arts/how-do-you-find-your-own-art-style/
 
Developing Your Artistic Voice - J L Blackwater

Introduction - "...just like children don’t come from the stork, an artist’s voice is not dropped off on the doorstep one night, all perfectly preformed and powdered in a tidy package with a bow on top."
http://brainripples.wordpress.com/2007/03/06/developing-your-artistic-voice-introduction/

Artistic Voice Part 1: Listening - "Artists can use careful observation of themselves, their world, their fellow artists, and their own thought processes to help sculpt their own voice. By listening carefully and often, an artist gains clarity on what precisely s/he wants to say with their work."
http://brainripples.wordpress.com/2007/03/30/artistic-voice-part-1-listening/

Artistic Voice Part 2: Practice - "Drafts and practice attempts provide clues that reveal the answer to WHY we create (beyond simply being “compelled to do so”), which can help us cultivate our artistic voice. When we understand what sparks our need to create, our voice can gain clarity and strength through a sense of purpose."
http://brainripples.wordpress.com/2007/06/13/artistic-voice-part-2-practice/

Finding Your "Voice" - Leni Wiener
http://blog.leniwiener.com/?p=475

Finding Your Voice - Kathleen Loomis

Part 1
http://artwithaneedle.blogspot.com/2010/03/finding-your-voice-part-1_1877.html

Part 2
http://artwithaneedle.blogspot.com/2010/03/finding-your-voice-part-2.html

10 Ways to Infuse Your Work With Your Personality - Keri Smith
http://www.kerismith.com/blog/10-ways-to-infuse-your-work-with-your-personality/
 
What Type of Artist are You? What is Your Function? - James Hart - "Artists can play many roles in our society and have, throughout history, been thought to exist somewhere between high priest and prostitute."
http://blog.entrepreneurthearts.com/2009/09/09/what-type-of-artist-are-you-what-is-your-function/   

Ten steps to finding your artistic voice - James Hart
http://blog.entrepreneurthearts.com/2009/08/26/ten-steps-to-finding-your-artistic-voice/