Matt Thompson
Maybe we will meet again in another life, when we are both cats, Charcoal
What are your earliest memories of being artistic? I’ve always just kind of been this way. I used to wake up early on Saturday mornings when I was 3 or 4 and watch “The Joy of Painting” with Bob Ross on TV. My Mother and I would sketch animals out of encyclopedias.
When did art become a pursuit? Back in high school I had been really set on the idea of pursuing my art as a career, but I wasn’t disciplined enough. I joined the military and gained the discipline, but they beat the creativity out of me and it took a decade before I started getting back into it. I’ve only been really serious for about a year or two. I have a lot of catching up to do.
Are you self-taught or formally educated in visual art? I’ve taken courses here and there at various colleges and schools which has helped bolster and refine my technique, but not a fine art degree or anything. I’m primarily self-taught.
In what other ways are you involved in the local art community? I’ve only really been engaged in the community for a few months now, so I’m still in the ‘networking’ phase. Just trying to see what’s out there.
Missanthropy, Digital
What role do you think the artist plays in society? I think society tends to make light of the impact that artists have in this world. It’s generally viewed as either commercial drivel or weird, abstract drivel. What’s overlooked is that artists (no matter the medium) capture the heartbeat of civilization at any given point in time. We’re scribes of the zeitgeist.
What medium do you currently work in and how did you choose this medium? I work in whatever medium is required, but right now I’m bouncing between Charcoal and Digital (ipad pro with stylus). I love the texture of charcoal, but digital is extremely dynamic and much faster, which helps a lot when even some of my smaller pieces can take months to complete.
What is your creative process? Where are you finding ideas for your art these days? My process is almost purely stream of conscious. With my line-based work I’ll have a general idea of what I’m feeling and take it from there. I follow a lot of tattoo artists on instagram, but also a lot of different styles to broaden my perspective.
How do you choose your subject matter? Is there a reoccurring theme that carries throughout your work? Haha. Well… there’s been a pervasive, underlying theme of bad relationships and heartache in a lot of my work so far, but since creating them has been my therapy I’m starting to run out of materiel. I’ve been exploring new themes. I drew a bird. I’ve also been working with abstracts, texture, shape and form.
EXODUS, Digital
In your opinion, what’s your best/favorite piece you’ve made? I’m currently working on a new charcoal piece. The line work is really solid and the composition seems to be on point. I think it’s quite beautiful and I can’t wait until it’s done.
What is one of your artistic goals? One day I hope to have my own gallery showing. For now, I’d like to sell some work.
What’s your favorite place to see art? I enjoy scrolling through Instagram. Occasionally, I manage to get out to a gallery or museum, but I do what I can.
What living artists are you inspired by? Russell Mills, Rob Sheridan, Allen Williams, Adel Dauood, Ilya Kuvishinov
Do you own any art by other artists? I recently came into owning a piece by Russell Mills, who is my favorite artist of all-time. Pretty psyched about that.
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Website: mattthompsonart.com
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