Matson Uses Injury to Drive Piece

This week she tapped into the pain of a past injury to fuel her latest artwork as former graduate Michelle Matson continued her journey on Bravo's "Work of Art: Next Great Artist."

The challenge this week found contestants choosing a headline from past issues of "The New York Times," and creating pieces inspired by those headlines. The winner of the challenge would receive $20,000 and have the piece exhibited in the newspaper's headquarters in Manhatten.

There was also no longer an opportunity for immunity in upcoming challenges.

Matson opted to draw on a recent incident in which she was hit by a car and suffered many injuries, with scars just now beginning to fade. She chose a headline concerning the necessity of proof for injury or illness.

After getting hit by the car, Matson said, she had to prove her injuries to insurance agents and her employer, and the scars are starting to fade. So she opted to create a piece that documented those injuries, focusing on the scars on her legs and arms.

"I wanted to document the physical aspects of my injuries," she said.

Matson's piece involved a painting of her leg scars, as the legs are resting on top of the newspapers.

"The process feels like I'm beginning to accept my injuries," she said as she put the finishing touches on the piece.

In the end, Matson was pleased with her work, and proud of the reaction during the gallery show, although hers was not chosen as the winner of the challenge—fortunately, the judges liked it, and she was deemed safe for another week.

"It's very nice to be able to tell my story in this way," she said. "I am very happy with it."

The show airs every Wednesday at 9 p.m. on Bravo.

What did you think of Matson's decision to use her scars in her work? What do you think of her chances in the competition?