Matt here! 👋 Lil story time: when I was growing up in NMB, I had a job at the NMB location of @surfcity_mb through high school. Ding repair was part of the job and this one day, a guy brings in a bright yellow Infinity @infinity_surf single fin. The thing was beat up pretty bad, he said they used it to wake surf behind boats and it had taken a beating. I bought it off of him for fifty bucks. Then I got to work, and fixed it up.
I still have this board. I used to only take it out on smaller days, but after a knee injury when I was 18 or so I started taking it out on bigger days while I was healing up. And man this board is fun on bigger days (SC big which is not that big) I love it still, and it has become the go to board to get my kids trying surfing when we are at the beach. So about these designs: I’ve been making designs based on memories growing up at the beach and messing with fake album covers based on this time of my life. This is a series of designs made for this for fun project.
It has been nice diving back into memories when life felt a little lighter and more innocent. My main concern at the time was to get to the shop on time. I remember catching a wave at 2/7, running onto the beach and searching for someone with a watch to ask what time it was. Then I’d figure I had time for one or two more waves or I had to bike home quick! Not sure why I never had a watch myself ha!
Thanks for lookin!
Song is Beercan by Beck. We had surf videos always playing on repeat on the tv at the shop, and I remember a video had a section with this song, and it was great, but I can’t remember which video. Was a long time ago!
Lately 022326
1. Slab
2. Sketch of a structure thing from a sketchbook
3. Guy
4. No senses
5. Sketchbooks closed
6. Sketchbook open
7. Collage / painting on paper 18x24
8. Closeup of this painting. Not sure which way is up.
9. The beach obx NC- went for a couple days this week before having to retreat back to mountains for the snow.
10. Always waves. Should’ve ran out there to surf some.
11. Ink in sketchbook
12. A picture my mom sent me of me bein a goof.
Lately 011626
1. New painting: (18x24 acrylic on paper) maybe called “Slabs” - not sure yet!
2. New painting: (18x24 acrylic on paper)
3. Been sketching a lot lately
4. First moon rising in 2026
5. “Slab” sketch w/ acrylic (been doin these “slabs” seeing where it goes as if they are sculptures)
6. Closeup of sketch
7. Exploring VA: @redtruckbakery in Warrenton
8. Our annual chase the kids in the xmas trees until we choose one to bring home.
9. Pre Xmas dinner @marigoldjeangeorges
10. Chess at Keswick after dinner.
11. I liked the way this was looking, just a bunch of layers turned on.
12. An older painting from a few years ago (18x24 acrylic on paper)
13. Empty rides at Busch Gardens
14. Cherry Grove point SC. Miss the beach.
15. “Feel anything?” Trying not to feel desensitized with all that’s goin on.
16. Thanks for lookin.
Song: @fredagainagainagainagainagain Talk of the Town - have this on repeat a bunch lately.
Heyoo 👋! It has been over a year since I’ve posted on here. After taking a break in 2024 from making things (other than work related), I’ve really gotten back into it these last 6 months. I just haven’t had the energy or desire to post anything. Currently thinking that I’ll start treating this platform more loosely, including half formed ideas and experiments - but with a whole lot of real Mattlife thrown in there. Cause I’m a real human Dad that makes things on paper but I’m also a real human Dad who likes to play with his kids and chop firewood in the woods. It’s felt really good making paintings and animations and all sorts of images again after a break. More soon (or not, no pressure 🙂)
Had a fun time making this 5 sec intermission animation for @blinkcincinnati using the Blink eye. I used old archival + found images of Cincinnati to create textures for this.
Thanks to @jasonsnell for bringing me into this! What an amazing event.
I started doing these warm up studies based off of photos or drawings or something that caught my eye.
This one started with a photo of my son Dorian (slide 4). I went forwards and backwards from there and made a series of 10 images over time where one image informs where I take the next one.
The goal is to try and have one of these experiments always open on my computer and to spend 30 mins a workday messing around with one.
It has been something I've been trying for awhile, to just make stuff to make stuff. This series here I came back to on and off for the last few months as I worked on other ones (Dorian is almost a year younger in this photo!) But I loved this photo of him: my little wild man.
A few weeks back, @newcityartsinitiative held their 18th edition of Charlottesville SOUP event at @quirkhotelcva .
I made some animation "screensavers" that played on loop during dinner and before the event. Here are a few of them w/ some stills.
Cville SOUP is a public community dinner series to create crowdfunded grants for artists in the city of Charlottesville and the surrounding counties.
This event was our first that we attended, but we will be back. There were amaaazing and inspiring artist presentations. The winner was @phuongduyens - very much looking forward to seeing her upcoming exhibition. Really amazing work.
Thanks to @maureenbrondyke and @lindseyleahy for bringing me on to make these!
Whoaaaa haven’t posted since July. I have been making things but haven’t had much desire to post anything.
This series was a warm up starting with a photo of a detail in a Dali painting when I was at the Peggy Guggenheim gallery in Italy a few months back. I just let one image influence the next to see where it ended up!
Cor De Lux // "Rumors"
Watch the whole thing via link in the bio!
This is an abstract story of single cell organisms emerging - becoming sentient - trading ideas - fighting about their ideas- until there is nothing left: no color, just rage until it all implodes at the end. There is a glimmer of hope at the very end like the song resembles. The heaviness of social wars is felt in the build up and softly sang as in a lover's voice.
Thanks so much again to @cor_de_lux for letting me go wild on this song. It was an amazing experience, and I still feel the song's build in my spine.
