Chasing Matisse: A Year in France Living My Dream

The author, a writer and artist, is fascinated by the work of Matisse. He and his wife, also a writer, sell their house, leave their desk jobs and go off to France to follow in the footsteps of Matisse. The author chronicles their travels to the places that inspired Matisse - Paris, Collioure in the Pyrenees, Corsica, Belle-Ile off the coast of Britany and the South of France. In these places the author learns not just to look but also to see. The facts of Matisse's life and his development as an artist are interwoven with the travel adventures of the author and his wife as they live their dream of starting over in a foreign country. A look into the soul of an artist and what we can learn from him if we seek to live the creative life, this book is vastly superior to the shallowness of "C'est La Vie" by Susie Gershman and her vacuous tale of leaving the US to live in Paris. The only thing missing from "Chasing Matisse" is a map so that the reader can see the locations of the various places that are visited. It's also helpful to have on hand a copy of "Henri Matisse: A Retrospective", Museum of Modern Art 1992, while you read so that you can see the paintings that the author mentions extensively in the book.

Oh the places you will go as you read James Morgan's fine book, Chasing Matisse. Morgan and his wife, Beth, leave their comfortable lives in Little Rock, Arkansas and set out for France to visit the places Henri Matisse once inhabited. The physical journey that Morgan takes the reader on makes the book worthwhile; however, it is the psychological journey Morgan takes as an artist that makes this book particularly compelling. Morgan, an accomplished writer, chooses to pursue a lifelong dream, painting. And, who better to lead him on this quest than his hero, Matisse? As he visits the places that stirred Matisse's imagination, Morgan learns "to see" as an artist, and he shares those sights as well as his insights with the reader. It takes a lot of courage to uproot oneself in order to pursue a dream, but Morgan does so and describes the process with such honesty and grace that the reader cannot help but be inspired. If you have ever thought about changing your life, you have to read Chasing Matisse. It's a book that stays with you long after the final page is turned.

Short of being there yourself, what is more fun than to travel relaxed in your favorite chair with a nice,new book that transports you to France, to Paris, to Belle-Ile off the Brittany coast, Corsica, the French Riviera, and you get to go without having to struggle with armloads of luggage? In Chasing Matisse, Jim Morgan and his wife, Beth Arnold, leave a fine life in Little Rock, Arkansas to follow the elusive stuff we call our dreams. With some misgivings, they pack-up; stash away what they cannot take and say goodbye to family, friends and pets. And we, the lucky readers, are invited to go with them. Along the way, we discover that Chasing Matisse is more than just a well-written travelogue, it is a book about longings and discovery, about shared joy and love as much as it is about France or Matisse. Two of James Morgan's finest qualities that shine through in this book are his passion for art and painting, and his honesty. He chases Matisse as a student follows after a master. He crosses France seeking color, line and freedom. As we travel with him, we learn that Jim Morgan has gifts of his own to offer, his words, his own lines, well chosen and colorful, plus he has a welcoming penchant for seeing and tasting the world. The book feeds the delicious little "what-ifs" in our own lives, the little itches that ask if someday we too might. . . . If you have enjoyed Frances Mayes in Italy and Peter Mayle in France, you will love James Morgan in Chasing Matisse.

If you've read Peter Mayle and Frances Mayes, you might be expecting a humorous look at life in another country. This book is not like that. Morgan is a thoughtful, introspective artist who risks all to follow his passion, and he brings us along with him as he travels around France to get inside the head and heart of Henri Matisse. This is a wonderful, informative study of Matisse and his struggles for artistic identity as he singlehandedly explodes color onto the drab palette of French art. It is also a personal journey for Morgan, and you will be touched by his sensitivity and candor. A must-read for anyone who contemplates midlife.

This very enjoyable read should appeal to the interests of several types of individuals. For those who like to travel, the book takes you through parts of France as well as Corsica and Morocco. For those who appreciate art and artists, the life of Matisse unfolds in unique ways throughout the book. For all us who dream of leaving home to pursue the fantasy of living in a different culture with fascinating people, this book helps you realize that it can be done. For me it is a reminder of the 5 wonderful months we spent in Nice. We were not chasing Matisse, just the Nicois food customs and way of life. With each page I lived our dream once again.