Matti Paints - Subject Alex

This is Alex.

We met at the coffee shop and in the short time I've got to know him, I have to say there is something very special about him.
He's very talkative, so one of the things I found so odd about this experience was he was quiet. Silent. Songs would pass and we wouldn't say a word. This was something that I was initially confused by, but the more time passed the more I hoped he was simply absorbing the experience. He's a very hard one to read, but I like to think that he enjoyed the experience. I hope he did. I don't know.

Many of Alex's songs were songs of longing or thankfulness. It was a very heavy playlist so I'm wondering if that played a part in it.
The strange thing was his colour choices were so vibrant and bold that the somberness almost flies in the face of them. It's a case of DESPITE the colours and the actions, the piece somehow still carries a feeling of sadness to it.

Or maybe the feeling is hope. Hope for what exactly I'm not sure, but there is a strange optimism to it as well.

Pictured: Moroseness

Funny how on this piece I'm really focusing on the outcome. The journey itself was a good one, and the end result was fun, but it's just a strange thought to think of how different the outcome was compared to what I was expecting.
To find out how to become a part of this project please contact me: HERE

Matti Paints- Subject Georgia

This is my fabulous friend Georgia

She is fantastic. I love her. We've been friends for years ever since we were both going to school in North Bay as part of Canadore's theatre program. I knew if there was any woman who would be excited to do this project, it would probably be her.

I've drawn Georgia before, but this was my first time painting her in this way, and I have to say I think the experience was one of my favorites. Her song choices were interesting, and interestingly contrasted almost perfectly with her colour choices. While the colours were simple and bright, the songs were heavier and almost melancholic. In retrospect I'm surprised that they didn't have much more impact on the experience. I'm not sure why a heavy playlist played so heavily with our emotions when I painted Mark, and for this time to be so much more light hearted and whimsical. Maybe its our previous relationships, maybe it's that she's a girl, or maybe it's because of our shared experiences in the frozen North but this time there was something really light hearted about the whole experience.

The pink stands for "drag queen"

I was very impressed with Georgia's lack of inhibitions. So far she has been the only female to go nude and it's a very brave choice. It takes about a minute to be comfortable with each other when you're fully exposed, but it was a good experience none-the-less. Once we warmed up we found ourselves laughing and joking about the entire experience. There was something just... fun about it.

I'm really proud of her, and I  believe that we managed to create something magical.
I have to say there was something to be said for the simplicity of this piece. It's to the point, gentle, and I have to say has an air of beauty to it. I'm quite proud of this one as I feel it makes her look almost like a fish. I mean that in the best way.

Matti Paints: Subject Pat

Painting Patrick has to be my favorite painting experience so far.

Subject Pat: Not pictured- dignity

We’ve always gotten along well. It’s hard to believe that we’ve only known each other for a few months, but in those few months we have got to grow very close. We have a shared love of video games, Jesus and terrible jokes. That, and his laugh has to be one of the most contagious I’ve ever heard.

This may have helped matters

There’s a sense of joy when it comes to Pat. It permeates everything he does, and every person he comes in contact with is a little richer because of it.
I think it’s apparent from the playlist he chose as well.

Not pictured: Dignity, No diggity and Giggedy Giggedy

Song 1

Song 2

Song 3

I really wanted to showcase his positivity and I think that I was able to bring out a lot of it. I think in a way Patrick did me a favour in this since the colours he chose were remarkably compatible. the fact that he chose all three primary colours to me shows a willingness to experiment. That being said his choice of green was significant not only because it goes flawlessly with his skin tone, but is considered by many artists to be a kind of fourth primary colours. ( the spectrum used by tv’s is red, blue and green) But the unusual choice came in the form of gold. For someone so exceedingly humble, the choice of gold was one I found curious simply because it seemed so out of place with the others. Patrick claimed it was because it would go flawlessly with his skin tone (it did, but that’s beside the point) I claim it was because he’s secretly arrogant and likes to shine every so often. (it’s allowed)

Song 5

Song 6

The painting process this time was a lot more enjoyable. For the first time, as we were nearing the end of the process I was afraid that the paint job would be incomplete. I was afraid that I would run out of time and not be able to do true justice to his personality. In the end though, I like to think that we made something really special and unique.

Song 8

Song 8- Arm detail

I really love the way it turned out, especially the details on the face and the shoulder. Ironically, my favorite parts of the piece aren’t entirely noticeable in the final picture. That being said, I feel like his picture is uniquely him. It’s curious, fun and uniquely beautiful.
Presenting Pat:

Matti Paints: Subject Wes

    Me and Wes have a very giving and loving friendship, so he was the obvious first choice for my art project.

This is Subject Wes: Note that it is Groundhog day again

    Right away, from the first stroke I knew that there was something very special about this experience. Painting on someones body has a magical quality about it that I’ve never felt before. There is a palpable amount of trust involved, and an unspoken yet understood agreement that in the end, they are giving you their vulnerability in exchange for a work of art.
    When I first set out on this project I wasn’t anticipating the sheer amount of feelings that go through you as you begin. We started out joking around about the coldness of the brush, but as the work began to take shape, there grew an almost serious quality to the painting.

After Song 2

After Song 4

Close to the end

    I think it started with his colour choices. What was so interesting about them was they were almost the exact colours I would choose. I’m a huge fan of red and blue contrast, and the fact that he chose them meant that it would create a palate I was familiar and eager to work with. Since it’s been so long since my last painting, I appreciated this. However, there is a significant emotional overtone to the colours he picked.

Note: Colours not colors.

Three warm colours: red, orange and pink; followed by two cold colours: blue and teal. The interesting fact was that orange and teal are about as removed as you can get from each other on the colour wheel, while blue, red and purple are all very complimentary. As a result I knew the green would be the odd colour out, and as a result I am left to wonder if Wes knew he was doing this intentionally, or if it was simply the luck of the draw. I wonder if he even realizes how significant that is. Without the green to contrast the other colours the piece would run the risk of being too boring. With it, Wes showed a dangerous, almost rebellious side that gave the piece a level of interest that would have otherwise been lacking.
    As the painting continued a few really interesting things happened. We became silent. I became obsessed with the painting and Wes became contemplative. I’m not sure if he was being quiet for any particular reason, but at a certain point he really did become a human canvas. The music choices also helped to ease and relax the two of us as I worked.  As the painting continued, the songs became more and more melancholic and I soon realized that it was having an effect on both of our moods and the painting itself. His character began to show through as reflective and pensive. It began to reflect, especially in the facial region.

This was his playlist. The last song to play was "How He Loves". Hard to get more deep than that.

    In the end his character was revealed as vibrant, strong and reflective. A man emboldened with wisdom and a history of pain, but with a resolve to move forward.
This is his portrait.

Wes Response:

"I am most grateful to have had this "conversation" with Matti and the results from the future "voices"and to see how their conversations turn to out... to see the resulting colourful conversation."

"The time and space given for the process was quite meaningful in itself. I can't say I've ever been able to engage in a project as provoking with a friend before, however it is one that will be cherished"