Matthew was born on January 16th 1987 and raised in Hardin, Montana. Hunting with his father at the age of four he experienced the natural beauty of wildlife. That passion for animals soon began to show up on every yellow note pad at his fathers business. His talent and interest in drawing was recognized early by his parents and they encouraged this passion. Throughout school he excelled in art class, even winning the Montana Junior Duck Stamp in 2004.
After High school Matthew attended Montana State University-Billings, learning many different styles of art practice. Refining his skills from what was a very tight, detailed artist to a more open minded looser style of wildlife art, graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Art in 2009. Matthew works primarily in black and white with tints of selective color, focusing on line, form, and contrast. The powerful blending of mixed media on panels create a timeless, distinct piece of art.
In 2017 he married his best friend Melody, they now have two beautiful daughters Leila and Myla. The young family loves to be outdoors and enjoy what Montana has to offer. With every brush of paint each piece of art is attribute to the brilliance of Gods creation.
My fondest recollections come from hunting with my father at a young age. It was then my love for wildlife emerged. I always had an eye for detail, especially the correct anatomy of animals. Being in the outdoors, watching them in every aspect of life, I became obsessed with wildlife.
What I find especially appealing is applying the tinted color over the subtle black and white background. As I evolve as an artist, I am slowly moving away from the photo realism and microscopic detail. Instead, allowing the mixed media to suggest form, tone and texture allowing the viewer to fill in the rest. I'm constantly looking for new ways to evolve my work with the use of unique materials.
A black and white background is timeless, while a tinted object takes the viewer back to present day. The goal with my art is to create a unique and timeless piece of work, where each viewer can be reminded of the past or present. Every piece of art is attribute to God's creation.
