Matti Paints - Subject Brittanie

So I haven't done this before, but I really wanted to for this piece.

Now there are several paintings that I've done that I love. This was easily one of them. My immediate reaction after I finished it was "Wow... I did that?"

I guess a part of this goes back to my own personal insecurities (which I speak of in detail HERE), but when I finished this, I really felt like I had made something special. Something awesome. Something I could REALLY be proud of.

NOW, maybe I should take this back to the beginning.

Look! It's Brittanie!
She works with me at the Hot Oven and we generally get along famously. We've only had a few shifts together, but this girl has already kicked into the mode of surrogate little sister.
We joke. We laugh. Mostly that's about it.

Anyhow when I told her about my project she jumped at the chance and actually pitched me an idea.

"So, do you think you could do something like starry night?"
OMFG
For serious? For true?
I don't think I can properly express how excited I was at the prospect of doing this piece.
Van Gogh has long been one of my major artistic influences. His use of colour and form are incredible and I LOVE working with new material.

So obviously the colours were picked for us and we just had to find a suitable playlist. Turns out she loves Red Hot Chili Peppers so we had a good base to start from. I had to introduce her to Petty Victories because that's just what friends do, and I added Tonight Tonight to the list simply because the song fits beautifully in with the painting style.

Combine this with an extremely photogenic model and we had our shot in a matter of minutes. I am in love with this painting and am so glad that I got to have this experience with Brittanie. She's a really amazing person and I'm so glad that I've got to meet her.

Is the picture an exact replica of Starry Night? Of course not. No one can copy his genius in twenty minutes. But working with what I had, I have to say I am so proud, not only of Brittanie but of myself for being able to do something so close to the original in so short a period of time.

I could go into paragraphs upon paragraphs about this piece so maybe it's best I end it here. But I am SO thankful and proud of this piece and this canvas. Thanks for letting me be your big bro for a day!

Matti Paints - Subject Ben

So Ben is a friend of Kevin's who saw the project and agreed to be a part of it.
And I am very glad he did.

First off, once again I forgot to take a before picture which is disappointing. I really need to remember to do that.

However, one of the most exciting things about this particular canvas is that Ben is number 50.

Yes. I have now officially done 50 separate canvases. Each  more difficult than the last. I've grown. The project has grown. What started as an idea and a very confused expression from Wes has grown into this with momentum still going strong.

So needless to say I was very excited working with Ben. I couldn't have asked for a better canvas. He was friendly and from the moment he entered my apartment, we were both at ease and enjoying the experience. Plus he chose Tina Turner. That made my day.

Ben was surprisingly enjoyable to paint. I ended up creating patterns on him that I hadn't made before. His face ended up with solid line work which is a style I haven't experimented with too much yet which ended up being a pleasant surprise. The back piece featured a giant spiral that was outlined in Celtic designs. His arms were a teal and pink mix of Aztec patterns followed by a chest piece that looked like armor.

So of course we choose a picture that features him as a pose from the side.

Awe well, I'm still very happy with the end product! 

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Matti Paints- Subject Cassie, Libby and Chelsea

If two of these three girls look familiar, you're probably familiar with THIS picture. If so... AWESOME!

After talking to the girls last night they both talked to me saying that as much as they loved having their picture taken together, it would be nice if I could capture both of their essences as individuals. So, as one to never turn down a challenge, I gladly obliged.

So after Matt Ryan, I set to work on Cassie since Libby was too hungover and since Chelsea hadn't done this yet, it seemed like an excellent opportunity.

Once again my lack of harder music was Cassie's frustration, but she did manage to scrape together a collection of songs that would suffice. However, one thing I have started instituting is a strict time line for the song choices. You now only have ten minutes to pick them and stick them.

BSB are hardcore.

Also, Cassie got the additional challenge of only picking four colours. She picked black, lavender silver and grey. Talk about a challenge!

Her skin picked up the paint well and within a short amount of time we were done. I didn't even need the final song and we simply hopped up on the wall and started the shoot.

Cassie remains as photogenic as ever although the paint job I gave her was a fair bit harder than her previous one. I was happy with how it turned out. Especially since it shows off her mysterious, mischievous side.

Next up was Chelsea. 

 

A new friend. One I just met yesterday briefly, but she's quite the character. She's very friendly but has a very confident manner about her that makes you take notice of her tough quality quickly. That being said, her music choices and colour palate proved to showcase a much different side of her character. 

 I was especially drawn to the song Good Mother by Jann Arden and really felt that song perfectly encapsulated who I perceived Chelsea to be. Anyone who plays that song immediately has my respect. Plus she has lyrics from it on her leg. I guess that's what stood out the most since she reminded me of an old friend who had lyrics from it on his arm. 

That being said, she also chose Lady Bouncer, so she clearly has a fun and upbeat side. How anyone outside of the North Bay nightclub "The Zoo" knows that song is beyond me. 

Man I haven't been there in years. I wonder if they still play it. 

If I know North Bay bars... probably. 

Anyway in the end I think her painting did a good job of showing the person I met, albeit briefly.

Finally there was Drinky Mc-hungoverson.

Me and Libby go way back so it was interesting to see how her mood changed. During her stay here I saw her go from barely capable of moving, to plotting out where our adventures would be taking us tonight. Girl is crazy, but I still loves her.

 This time, I went with a very different approach to Libby. I wanted to keep her painting extremely simple since I find that sometimes simplicity leads to some of the more interesting paintings, and lately a lot of my portraits have been so busy, it was nice to have something SO simple.
The result was a very clean, beautiful portrait, that might be one of my favorites so far. There is something about her picture that was absolutely stunning and I love it.

 Together, the three of them were all very easy to work with. Especially since two of them knew what to expect.
I have to say I'm extremely happy with the pictures I got to create today. It's just been a good day for these things.

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To be a part of the Human Canvas Project, email me HERE

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 Nathan

Painting Nathan was a challenge.

I'm really enjoying this process because a) the people who agree to do it are usually exactly the kind of people I want to surround myself with, and b) I get to create some of the most interesting and dynamic art I've had the privilege of creating.
Nathan is someone who I don't know well. Or at least I didn't when I began the process. We met outside of a bar and a friend who I'd painted previously CHRIS, was kind enough to introduce us. As a result Nathan inquired about the project and since I'm at a bit of a stall in terms of my number of canvases, I agreed.
I've determined the people who are willing to do this project are the people I want in my life. I think that just needs to be pointed out.
Several challenges were presented here. The most obvious being that Nathan is a very hairy guy. Body hair is the enemy of this project. It sucks up paint, makes smooth strokes almost impossible and is unpredictable in how it will dry and whether or not it will let the paint sit on the body how I want it too. It's annoying. That being said its workable, and I managed to tame the wild fields of follicles without too much hassle.

His song choices.

Song 1

The other major challenge was his colour choices. Once again I encountered tertiary colours in a near perfect combination of orange, purple and Kermit green.  Then there was the blue, which was a comfortable zone for me and he chose white as his shade which was good because without those two colours to balance it out, I'm not sure I would've been able to do it.

I love seeing peoples colour choices as it always reflects into their character. that combined with the music are really the only hints I get to a persons personality before I start. Letting each song be a surprise lends us both a level of surprise that always shows through in unique and fun ways in the paint.

I did find myself experimenting more with designs this time. I had a recurring theme with peacock feathers that even though it doesn't quite show off in the final picture were a good challenge for me to pursue. I've always loved their designs and I've never been able to perfect them, but the challenge of working with them was a good experience. I think they fit well with his personality. Confident yet playful.
I really enjoyed Nathans company. I think that I've made a great friend in him, and to discover such similar christian upbringings was refreshing. It seems there's a lot to bond over in this situations, so being able to just spend time with someone and paint them was a good experience to get back to.
To be a part of this human canvas project just let me know : EMAIL
Presenting Nathan:

Matti Paints - Catchup Pt. 2

Shannon and Hayley:

Painting these two was a blast. Learning from working with the sisters, I wanted to make sure that the colour choice was more limited, and the time was also more restrained.

We did many things differently for this one: For one, Shannon and Hayley each picked their songs for the other person, and when the song played, I had to paint the one who the song had been chosen for. Again, we went with ten songs since I figured it would be better to keep them together and it put pressure on me to work faster.

In the end I think I got peacocks. Two beautiful, lovely friendly peacocks. The experience itself was dynamic and exciting. And I have to laugh that there will forever be people who think them to be lesbians simply because I asked them to be painted together.

Kevin:
This is Kevin

I have long admired Kevin's talent and was very excited when I finally got the chance to paint him.

His colour choices were in my extreme comfort zone so I feel like I really got to explore my wild side and attempt to add a whole new level of detail to the pictures. However, I found the music to be a lot more somber than I was expecting which I think reflected a bit in the final product. I ended up giving him angel wings that ended up looking more like marble on his skin than anything else.

Presenting Kevin

Matti Paints - Subject Nikola

I was really excited for Nikola's painting for many reasons.

Pictured: The Canvas

We've got along pretty well from when we first met each other at my friends Magic the Gathering party. I'm so cool, I went to a Magic the Gathering party.

Pictured : Cool

So when I was contacted by Nikola, I jumped at the opportunity to paint him. We both got along very well so it made sense that he'd be an easy canvas to paint.

Pictured: I'm on a boat!

His song choices matched mine very well and I was pleasantly surprised by more than a few of his choices. Actually, one of my secret prides of this project has been the reaction I've got from many people upon them seeing my playlist.
Them: "I love your song choices!"
Me: "Thank you so much" *pride*
Anyway, his colour choices were slightly more unusual.
As you can see from my canvases by now, I have a little bit of a comfort zone. I use a lot of blues, reds and purples in my work. Green tend to be softer and outlines usually are highlighted best in blacks.
With Nikola he chose lavender, white, brown forest green and orange.
F.
I was surprised when I started because he immediately took on a clown-fish type of quality. He's playful, enjoyable and we even ended up in several surprisingly deep conversations.
I really feel like with each passing canvas that I'm finding out more and more about people, but more importantly, what brings people peace. What's the process of giving someone some sort of relaxation and meditative peace? I can't help but wonder if this project is effecting all of us in a more significant way than we realize. It makes me want to branch out and paint more and more people. It makes me feel alive and connected to someone. To get the privilege of painting someones body, and transform them into a work of art is a unique opportunity.

It was a thrill getting to work with Nikola, and I hope I did his playful spirit and exciting personality to justice.

 Presenting: Nikola

Matti Paints- The Catch Up

So due to some disappointing issues with Book Face I'm going to be making one giant posting here displaying all the pictures with my overall impressions of my last few canvases rather than being able to go in depth with each individual person. I hopes you guys can forgives me.

Caitlin and Sarah P.:
These two delightful sisters were my first duet and proved to be an interesting challenge. First off, what do you do when two people are so incredibly different, but still need to share a picture together? Caitlin is the elder, but her sister Sarah tends to be the more over bearing one. Maybe it's her youth but I found her attitude quite amusing. Maybe I just know too many drag queens now, but she has the distinct air of one. Caitlin I know from working with her, and the two of us had a great time together. Considering I knew Caitlin a lot more, I think this painting was more of an exploration of Sarah. Together, the two of them go well together, but it proved to be an interesting challenge. As such I allowed them to pick out more colours and more songs than anyone else. However, once the painting began, I quickly realized it wasn't necessary. Using so many colours actually made it more difficult to pinpoint a personality, and the extra songs proved unnecessary since in the end, I actually finished at around the same time as everyone else.
Yes, this painting is simpler, but I was aiming for more of contrast between the girls to show their own personalities more. Overall, I think it was successful, and I greatly enjoyed my time getting to know them in such a new and creative way.

Sarah C.:
Me and Sarah are friends from high school, and much like my experience with Jonna, getting to paint her was a fantastic and exciting night. We quickly realized that despite the amount of time that's passed, that our friendship was as strong as ever, and getting to spend the time with her, albeit short, was still time I will cherish.
I love her colour palate since I believe it perfectly matched her soft and beautiful soul. I really wanted to experiment with crafting on her skin, and I think that she's the first time I feel like I've created designs that not only work with the body, but tell a story. As a result, I feel that Sarah's patterns helped to emphasize a lot of the work that goes into these paintings in a way that didn't sacrifice quality. I find with each passing canvas I can work in more and more details, so it's an interesting process to see where these will go from here.

Heather:
Heather was a friend of Georgia, and for the first time after completing a canvas, I actually am disappointed that I didn't get to know her more. I love Georgia, I dearly love her, and when she said that she had a friend who was interested in the project, I was quite happy at the idea of painting a female I never met.
While I believe that Heather is a lovely girl, I don't really feel like I got to know her the same way because the entire experience turned into a three way conversation with Georgia. I don't think this is a problem in any way, but up until now, there's been a certain kind of magic that happens when I'm painting someone. It becomes a conversation without words, a poetry thats told in the body (and that people actually seem to care about). It's been an equal measure of comfort, relaxation, healing and a celebration of the unspoken people behind the paint. Adding a third person to the mix while enjoyable, does have a tendency to steal the thunder of the intimacy and can be detrimental to the piece itself.
I think I captured Heather quite well, especially considering the limited colour palate and the external influences. (Really Heather? Four purples?!) There is something very nice and magical about her though, and I hope to get to know her more in the future.