Greetings. It’s been too long since I’ve shared new work. My apologies. Thanks again to all of you that have checked in these recent months of radio silence. In spite of watching my art business whither away for lack of playing the social media game, all is well. I’ve just been working on some other projects lately- building a solar powered writing shack in my backyard with a loft bunk to allow me to snore more effectively, reorganizing pens and pencils, deconstructing my life and then melting into a puddle while God quite literally deconstructs my entire sense of self and brings about some much needed healing from pains long buried in the past so I can be a better husband, father, and friend. Just basic stuff like that.
But I do have a few new originals to share with you that you probably haven’t seen yet. And also a couple of opportunities to bid on some paintings that help support some local groups here in Humboldt County.
And if you’re in the San Diego area, read to the end of this email for details on a few chances to connect in person which is so much cooler than connecting by email because we can enjoy the awkward faces we make when we’re unsure what to say next.
So um, yeah…
Depth Perception II
24” x 36” | Full Price: $1296 | Early-Bird Deal: $1200
This is part of a recent series where I’ve been playing with the concept of clear water. They are a prayer for clarity of sorts. These just feel right to me right now, so I’m rolling with them.
When the Ship Comes In
20” x 16” | Full Price: $880 | Early-Bird Deal: $695
I could say more, but here’s this little poem instead:
The ship has sailed And with it your lover Stolen away So you live like a pirate now Steering your terrestrial warship Your vessel made of sand Stealing only what you need And in need of everything And needing it today Stealing whatever you can Stealing one last glance At the bigger picture Before your world grows small As you wait for the rising tide To level it all In a baptism of salt And if a mighty king Should later arrive With plastic bucket and shovel Barefoot and sunburned With a grape stuck up his nose And a panicked mother Searching far and wide For her lost prince Who happily builds his castle From the scattered shards Of your broken body Then Just maybe then You can live again As the castle’s ghost Belonging to the King
The Brighter Side of Widowhood
20” x 16” | Full Price: $737 | Early-Bird Deal: $650
A Little Ways Away
20” x 16” | Full Price: $775 | Early-Bird Deal: $650
Thérèse of Lisieux Born in an age of books without end Teachers teaching the taught The perfected lesson The corrected doctrine But no one to love the world entire Unable to bear the burden And fully aware of the limits Of her own imperfect love Small, weak, and broken She found her greatest strength In her failure No longer striving for greatness Of knowledge or deed She forged The Little Way By scattering flowers Of small sacrifice Of fleeting glance Of gentle word The smallest Actions of Love And Light Falling on The monastery That bears her name Across the bay A Little Ways away A simple reminder That this canvas On which I lay down petals Of Red Yellow Blue and White Is but itself Insignificant And merely another Flower scattered For Love
Made in California
16” x 20” | Full Price: $740 | Early-Bird Deal: $650
Original Artwork Auctions
A few happening right now, and one coming up soon…
Kansas City Star (Huckleberry Flint)
20” x 16” | Check here for current bid | Bidding Closes: 8pm (California Time), October 3rd
This was a lot of fun to paint, and waaaay out of my comfort zone. I’m a lot more comfortable painting rocks and trees inaccurately than I am doing the same injustices to the human form, but there they were, pouring themselves into their music for us only a few feet away. What could I do? I did my best. And this is where it landed.
It’s especially meaningful to me as I’ve painted at live events while dozens, possibly hundreds of musicians have played nearby, but never a group of musicians I’ve known as long as these guys. Usually I just paint whatever I feel like, flowing water, waves, etc, but today I felt like painting these guys (and gal) while they did their thing. Our friendships go back over 25 years, long before they played music together, before they formed Huckleberry Flint and proceeded to sell out shows. Long before two of them got the wild idea to figure out how to make chocolate from scratch and winning awards and selling chocolate all over the world as Dick Taylor Craft Chocolates. They even hired my oldest daughter and now she always smells like chocolate, and if we shake her hard enough, little bits of chocolate fall out of the hems in her shirt, and we laugh and make cookies. So yeah, this wasn’t just a painting of a band, this painting is a snapshot in time of friendships that have been forged over a lifetime.
But none of this was my idea, I was invited to come paint this afternoon by the Redwood Coast Mountain Bike Association who hosted the outdoor concert. To honor their efforts building trails, and building community here in Humboldt, I agreed to split the sale with them 50/50 and it is being auctioned now on Aidcurrent.com
Bidding closes October 3rd @8pm, so don’t wait around, check it out and bid now if you’re feeling it.
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Rose Bush
20” x 16” | Check here for current bid | Bidding Closes: 6pm (California Time), October 3rd
Maybe it's a self portrait.
This was painted at the Botanical Gardens where there must have been at least 20 other artists working on the grounds. Maybe more. Beautiful people, hearts of gold, paintings of delightful beauty in various states of refinement.
I show up late, wander the entire garden, perpetually unsatisfied with the beauty before me. Feeling woefully inadequate to convey anything true or special about the infinite miracles of life all around me.
A sign beside the trail reads “Naughty children must pull weeds”.
I consider pulling weeds instead of painting, but they asked me to come and paint, not wallow in self pity, so in a flash of brilliance I realized that even though I deserved to just sit down and yank weeds, by not doing so and painting instead I would then for once be doing as I was told and could avoid botanical justice… for at least just this afternoon.
And the next thing I knew I found this lonely little rose bush standing apart from the other plants. A head full of beauty and a body full of thorns. This is my people.
This one is being auctioned off right now with a 50/50 split to benefit the Humboldt Botanical Garden. Bidding closes October 3rd @6pm.
Live Art for WILDCOAST
Details to come soon.
I’ll also be painting on site for WILDCOAST at their upcoming San Diego event this Saturday and they will be holding an online art auction over the following week. This is just a heads-up that I’ll send an email next week with the final painting and more details for that one as well.
San Diego Events
Speaking of San Diego events, here’s a few coming up real soon:
Leucadia Art Gallery @The Corner Frame Shop
Sunday, October 2
4 - 7pm
1038 N Coast Highway 101
(at Corner of Diana Street)
I’ll be posting up in the gallery here for a few hours with buckets of framed canvas prints on hand, mostly local San Diego coastal scenes. But mainly I’d just be stoked to see you and if the situation permits, maybe even have a real live conversation like we used to do back in the old days. That would be grand.
The Boardroom Surfboard Show
Saturday & Sunday, October 8th & 9th
Del Mar Fairgrounds
After a few years of missing this event, I’m stoked to be coming back and joining up with my pal Wade Koniakowsky. We’ll either have a great booth full of art and people and conversation, or we’ll just be a couple of awkward artists standing around wondering what we’re doing wrong while watching everyone walk past and avoid eye contact while playing that game where they imagine the floor of our booth (and our booth alone) is lava. It could go either way. But it doesn’t matter much, the event is just a ton of fun and I’m glad to be back and if it’s on your radar, I’ll be stoked to see you there and I promise, the floor of our booth will not be lava.
Ok, and that’s all for now. Thanks for powering through another one of these rambles through my art life. Holler quick if you need one of the paintings in this batch and we’ll sort it out. Or if you have any questions, or just want to drop a hello. Always great to hear from you.
Hope to see you here or there or somewhere soon!
And as always, thank you for your support that has made this art life possible. Heroes, all of you.
Cheers,
Matt