One volume down...

I've finished (423 pages) volume one of the Matisse biography. To give credit where credit is due, it is The Unknown Matisse by Hilary Spurling. It really is a vivid text that gives such insight into life of the times. It would seem that Matisse has been mis-portrayed quite a bit- possibly due to Picasso and Gertrude Stein. Somewhat unsporting of Picasso as Matisse was supportive of him - as he was of many young artists- when he was getting his start. Now onto Matisse the Master - which was the book that began this reading episode for me. A gift from a good friend, I was about 100 pages into it when I realized I owed it to myself to read the first volume first- so now I am back at the beginning of this second volume - but with a much better background understanding! The latest issue of UBC alumni magazine mentions my painting "Mrs.Sakata's Garden" as in a previous blog. The same volume has a nice article about one of my former teachers - Gordon Smith. One of the things I most remember him saying was that it was important to be *sincere* in one's art work- as well as to not be "slick".