Matthew Mattingly

Monday, May 20, 2024

Atlantic Spice Company Pallets

Ink drawing on toned paper of pallets stacked up in bright sunlight by wooden retaining wall

Pen, ink wash, and white pen on toned paper

4" x 6"

Sunday, May 19, 2024

Long Point Lighthouse from Truro, MA

Watercolor sketch of calm. slightly ruffled bay with sandy spit of land and squat white lighthouse on horizon beneath white and purple clouds.

Watercolor
4" x 6"

Wednesday, May 15, 2024

Truro Breakwater sketch

First 2024 Cape sketch as well as first sketch in new Montanapolitancroptic sketchbook. I've done this breakwater many times before, but this time I was trying to work methodically with the reality of the constantly changing tide. The problem is that there is no stable baseline to use as a reference, and the overall visible size of the subject is changing, making it hard to judge proportions. I knew that the tide was going out, and that I had about an hour and a half before it reached low tide, so I made sure to use the parts that were visible and that would remain constant as my reference points, and gradually added to the drawing as more of the subject was revealed by the receding waters.

The gull showed about about halfway through, and I was of two minds whether to include it. Would it make the image too hokey? However, the way it stayed there posing for so long made me think it really wanted me to put it in the picture, so I did. I think it provides a nice accent.

Pencil drawing of breakwater with details filled in

Ink drawing of breakwater at low tide with seagull perched on top

Ink drawing of breakwater at low tide with darkened water, sand texture, and highlights

Saturday, May 11, 2024

Academic Artist Association 74th Annual Exhibition of Traditional Realism.

Oil painting. Thick snow swirls amidst trees and play structure, simultaneously obscuring and defining the objects and the space between them.

"Backyard Snow" has been juried into the Academic Artist Association 74th Annual Exhibition of Traditional Realism. This exhibition always attracts top notch artists from New England and beyond, so it should be a great show.

June 16 – July 14, 2024
Thursday - Sunday, 1 to 5 PM

Arts Center East
709 Hartford Turnpike, Vernon, CT ~ 860-871-8222

Opening Reception Sunday, June 16, 2024, 1 to 4 PM
Awards announced at 3 PM

https://www.academicartistsassociation.org/

Wednesday, May 8, 2024

New MontanaPolitanCroptic sketchbook

Time to make a new MontanaPolitanCroptic sketchbook. It's been ten years since I designed and built the first of these. Also, some pix from the old one, selected with an eye to repeated places and subjects.

Two handmade sketchbooks, one old and one new. They have different types and colors of paper and are covered with black cloth.

Bookshelf showing spines of handmade sketchbooks with dates going back to 2014

Ink sketch of railroad crossing signals with road in background on white paper

Ink sketch of railroad crossing signals on toned gray paper

Ink sketch of railroad crossing signals on toned tan paper

Ink sketch of dense foliage with light filtering through leaves at top

Ink sketch on toned tan paper of path entering woods with large rock on left, dense foliage in background

Ink sketch on white paper of path leading into woods, light streaming through trees and foliage

Ink and white gouache sketch on toned tan paper of river view with power plant and railroad bridge

Watercolor sketch of river view with power plant and railroad bridge

Watercolor sketch of closer view of power plant with smokestacks and complex ductwork; trees and river on foreground.

Friday, May 3, 2024

Backyard Snow

Oil on linen panel

9.5" x 12"

I started this back in January, during the only decent snowstorm of the winter. There's also a shot of the first pass, showing how I was trying to get the movement and feeling of the snow down first, filling the details later but always referring back to the initial sketch; and my snow painting setup, Artistic In Tent.

Underpainting sketch showing movement of snow

Pochade box with tent made of plastic bag on file folder frame to shelter palette and painting from snow

Thursday, May 2, 2024

MICAfest 2024

Sunscreen and Three Women are up at the Bombyx Center for Arts & Equity as part of MICAfest 2024, Art for Change: The M/others’ View.

There's lots of other interesting artwork on display, connected to non-traditional conceptions of motherhood. Unfortunately the gallery is currently only open during other scheduled events and performances, so if you happen to be attending one of these during May be sure to traipse down the hall to the Peacock Gallery during intermission. There is a possibility of scheduling additional viewing times which I will announce if they pan out.

There is also a reception May 25, 2:00 - 4:00, which I won't be able to attend, but which should be fascinating. The reception is free, but please RSVP so they can plan accordingly.

https://experiencemica.org/event/mica-unveiled-art-reception-2/

May 1-31, 2024

Bombyx Center for Arts & Equity

130 Pine St, Northampton, MA 01062

experiencemica.org/micafest-2024-northampton-ma/

Peacock blue gallery wall with pastel painting of mother applying sunscreen to her daughter's nose as a large wave breaks in the background, and an oil painting of three women, a mother, daughter, and grandmother on a porch overlooking a town with a thundercloud on the horizon.

Pastel painting of mother applying sunscreen to her daughter's nose as a large wave breaks in the background.

Oil painting of three women, a mother, daughter, and grandmother on a porch overlooking a town with a thundercloud on the horizon.

Pages