Gateway City Arts show

"Plaiting a dark red love-knot into her long black hair" was in the recent 4th Annual Small Works Show at Gateway City Arts in Holyoke, MA. Unfortunately I wasn't able to make it there to see it in person, but Gateway has posted a video walk through of the show along with more photos here: www.gatewaycityarts.com/small-works-gallery/the-4th-annual-small-works-exhibit/

New year, new sketchbook

 Made a new Montanapolitancroptic sketchbook, with white, grey toned, tan toned, and watercolor paper. Here are some favorites from last year's book.

Making some new Hor:Ratios

 Hor:ratio is a device I came up with to work with rectangular aspect ratios and proportional subdivisions. It has become an indispensable part of my kit, useful for analyzing compositions, copying works of art, creating thumbnails, etc. When they get worn out I just print out a new batch, trim, score, and fold to make a handy pocket reference and proportional protractor.

If you are interested in the geometrical aspects of artistic composition or curious about the arcane world of root rectangles, diatessarons, and hemiolions, you can get your own Hor:ratio and instruction booklet right here at www.matthewmattingly.com under the Hor:ratio tab. Free, no registration or personal information required. I would appreciate any feedback.

"Plaiting a dark red love-knot into her long black hair"

Will be at Gateway City Arts in Holyoke, MA, for the 4th Annual Small Works Exhibit.

Pen and ink, watercolor

5" x 7"

www.gatewaycityarts.com/small-works-gallery

From “The Highwayman”by Alfred Moyes. I had this idea for Inktober day 4 “knot” but realized it needed a fair bit of research and preparation (like, what the heck is a love-knot?) and found a reference to a Celtic love-knot, which she is plaiting into her hair with red ribbons wrapped around the individual plaits. Later I discovered someone else had done the same subject, but pictured it as a probably more accurate and certainly simpler approach where she had tied the knot into a ribbon which she then braided into her hair.

You can read the poem here: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43187/the-highwayman

Heath Street Stop

Pencil, 7" x 5"

This is in the 10th Annual Small Works Show at

Hope and Feathers

319 Main St.

Amherst, MA.

12/1/2021 - 1/11/2022

Van Horn sketches

Watercolor from a walk in Van Horn Park in Springfield, MA. At first I was attracted by the light on the grassy peninsula, but a guy and his dog showed up so I put them in, too. 4” x 6” in sketchbook.

Peninsula at Van Horn Park. I did the same scene from the opposite side a few weeks ago (above). This time the sun was behind me, and instead of the guy and his dog showing up on my painting it was a couple of fisher fellows.

Watercolor 4” x 6” in sketchbook.

Another sketch of that peninsula in Van Horn Park, this time front on, like the prow of a ship. It was a gray day, so I did it on toned gray paper with black, gray, and white ink.

Peninsula at Van Horn Park

This time I’m ON the peninsula, looking out at the culvert under Armory St. from which I did the previous one.

Light on reeds and water

Pen and ink

Another sketch from Van Horn park. The light green algae floating at the shoreline were brilliantly illuminated against the shadowy foliage.

 

Three pieces in art show

I have three pieces in this upcoming juried show:

The Colors of Change

27th Annual Juried Spring Art Exhibition & Sale

Weekends May 15th- 30th, 2021

Noon to 5:00

House of Art, 200 Main Street, Monson, MA

Covid 19 Guidelines in Place

www.MonsonArtsCouncil.org

Ego et Endo

Abandoned Fort

Mount Norwottuck from Mount Pollux: Rain Likely