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, focusing on line, form, and contrast. The powerful blending of charcoal on panels create a timeless piece of Art where color is not missed.
In 2017 he married his best friend Melody, two years later marked the arrival of their daughter Leila. The young family loves to be outdoors and enjoy what Montana has to offer. With every vine of charcoal 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 charcoal/graphite medium focusing on bold contrast and gentle blending. As I evolve as an artist, I am slowly moving away from the photo realism and microscopic detail. Instead, allowing the charcoal/graphite material to suggest form and tone allowing the viewer to fill in the rest. I'm constantly looking for new ways to evolve my work with the use of acetone and acrylic paint.
Black and white is timeless, it takes away the distraction of color and emphasizes on form, line and texture. 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.
