My first try at a cutout

Karen and I love the giant Matisse cutouts upstairs at the East Wing of the National Gallery in DC (I think her more than me). I bought her a book about his cutouts at a great used bookstore on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill. I got inspired to make a cutout myself.

I've done a number of drawings and paintings from Man Ray photographs. He always gives me ideas with his lighting, composition and creativity. I found a particular photo of a nude from the back that he called a "Japanese" inspiration. I could see a cutout in the simple but beautiful photo.

I painted some unprimed canvas in pink/coral, black, blue and yellow. Some of the canvas was cotton duck but some was just canvas that is sold as drop cloth for interior room painting. I glued the painted canvas to a painted 1/4 inch thick mounting board. I'm fairly happy with this first attempt.

Nude. Acrylics on canvas and mounting board. 10" by 20"