Today we’d like to introduce you to Matthew Schwab.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
Growing up, my family moved a fair bit. Our first big move was trading in the brown Sonoran landscapes of Arizona for the green suburbs of Baltimore. I was only 7 and had mixed feelings about moving so far from family and friends. What I was aware of most was how I would miss my southwestern home, so I took my savings and bought a Hopi Kachina Doll. I could look at that wooden sculpture in our new home and remember Arizona.
That feeling of having art connect with a story in my consciousness never left me. One of my first artist inspirations was Peter Beard and his obsession with Africa. His mixed media pieces, photographs stuffed in sketchbooks embellished with writings and sketches, showed me the value in telling visual stories in any and all medium. I let that passion guide me to become a professional in the film/media arts as a digital colorist and as a mixed media fine artist.
Please tell us about your art.
For most of my fine art career, I’ve painted and photographed mainly landscapes with color and technique that relate an empathic feeling of the place through my eyes. What was in that moment of place that sparked a subconscious feeling that made me want to put paint on canvas? In the studio and en plein air, I work to figure that out. In recent years, after meeting my wife and having our beautiful daughter, I still use color as my emotional story teller. What has changed most is my subject matter.
There seems to be a constant underlying message from our political climate that sends a narrative out to the world that family values, togetherness, integrity, and even basic humanity are not valued. It’s baffling to me that these core values have become a thing of counter-culture. My current work, from my recent travels in Guatemala to the close, intimate, portraits of my family, try to give that a voice.
We often hear from artists that being an artist can be lonely. Any advice for those looking to connect with other artists?
In my fine art, part of being an artist is working in solitude. It’s been my companion, and I need the space of that solitude to focus and be truthfully creative. I don’t find that being lonely; quite the opposite. I have worked with other artists side by side, such as painter John Maxon, and my parents, who are both fine artists as well. We don’t converse when we’re working on our projects. It’s nice to have people around but when I’m truly focused they may as well not be present, like blinders on a horse.
With my digital art of being a colorist, it’s a wholly collaborative creative experience. It’s very important to talk through the process with the director, cinematographer, or art director and have them present while working to make best creative choices for the job. In this way, my work as a fine artist and my work as a digital artist is balanced.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
My work, both as a digital colorist and fine artist, can be seen on my website at www.rovingpictures.com. Also, you can follow me on Instagram @mattschwabcolorist for gallery announcements and current work. You can find artwork for sale on Etsy @mattschwabcolorist.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.rovingpictures.com
- Instagram: mattschwabcolorist
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RovingPictures/
- Twitter: mattschwabcolor
Image Credit:
All images copyright Matthew Schwab.
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