Art has been a major part of the life of Matthew Gwyer. The young artist from Maine has sold his artwork on his personal website as well as displayed his pieces in galleries across North America.
“I love being an artist and learning new skills from the great pioneers who came before me,” says Gwyer, who found inspiration in surrealist painters like Salvador Dalí. Dalí himself was influenced by the Renaissance and Impressionism, and his works and style continue to be a muse for Gwyer today.
It all started for young Gwyer not long after enrolling in the University of Southern Maine. Eager to attend a studio drawing course, Gwyer found that he had a natural aptitude for art, and would work tirelessly to hone his talent.
It was in this class that Gwyer was first introduced to Dalí as well as other well-known names like Vincent Van Gogh and Johanna Vermeer.
These artists, who played a major role in shaping Gwyer as an artist still serve to be an inspiration to him today. They prompted him to start drawing and painting, and since then, Gwyer has never looked back.
That’s his first piece of advice to any aspiring artist today. “Just get started, and if you’re not satisfied, keep painting or drawing until you are.”
Gwyer says he will often start and stop pieces and he still treats himself kindly as an artist. He says art is all about enjoying what you do, so you should never guilt yourself for not finishing a piece or moving onto the next one. He recommends artists find creativity and follow wherever it takes them.
Though Gwyer is heavily influenced by the artists who came before him, he tries his best to maintain his individuality and uniqueness. His liquid painting series sold out on his website not long after he published them, and he credits his own feelings and emotions in creating them.
Now, Gwyer is determined to help other artists follow in his footsteps, and he’s also looking forward to making custom artwork to match the homes of his customers.
“I want to make the perfect painting for people who commission my artwork so they can proudly hang it in their home and feel good about it,” Gwyer goes on to say.
Art for Matthew Gwyer is all about eliciting emotion, and it’s also about changing emotional states. Art was something Gwyer turned to during the more challenging moments in his life, and he says it has been a major motivating force for him to keep going.
That leads into his second recommendation for aspiring artists: “Use art as an escape, or as a form of therapy if it suits you.”
Whether you’re the artist expressing your emotions on the canvas, or you’re somebody consuming art, it certainly has therapeutic effects. Simply going to an art gallery allows you to meet like-minded people and make new friends.
To learn more about Matthew Gwyer or to purchase his work, you can visit his personal website for details.
