Artist, born 1983.
Grays School of Art 2001-2005
Follow me on twitter if you want (though it is very little art related):
@wellywellywells
Here’s a painting I’m currently working on. Plaster and watercolour on panel; a kind of bastardised fresco. No great theme, no attempt to proselytise, no comment on society…
space, line, colour and composition… pictorial problem solving in the form of a self portrait.
Pint of Guinness at The Fiddler’s Elbow, Santa Maria Novella in the background, Watercolour on Paper (2023)
During my MA studies at Gray’s school of art (2019-21) I was fortunate to be awarded a John Kinross scholarship by the Royal Scottish Academy, enabling me to study in Florence. I undertook the scholarship in October 2022, and have added a selection of works relating to the scholaship to the website at this page: https://mattwells.art.blog/florence/
30 x 25cm, acrylic on canvas
My small canvas studies base on the monochrome illustrations in Cesar Ripa’s iconologia continue. These are learning aids in a way, embedding postures, fabric folds and symbolic elements in my muscle memory to enhance my improvised drawings.
I recently remembered that I had a Saatchi Art account (from 2012!) and logged back in For the first time in years.
There was only one image there, a large Titian inspired montage that has long since been sold, but Im thinking of listing more paintings there in the future.
Allegory of Fidelity, acrylic on canvas, 30 x 25cm.
the main composition is borrowed from the moral emblem in Ripa’s Iconologia.
Allegory of The Beginning, acrylic on canvas 30 x 25cm
main pose of the figure and symbolic element of the letter and small man in the creators hand borrowed from the Iconologia.
Lying with the dogs, 2022
Last year I painted “Lying with the dogs” an allegorical image relating to the phrase “if you lie with dogs, you get up with fleas”.
my character is happy in the companionship of his canine friends, and cares not for the judgement of others, represented by the form of a spying cat in the border.
This painting is available with a number of small experimental studies on eBay here: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/394560071714
Occasionally I make collagey mixed-media works for fun. A way to explore interesting compositions and distortions outside of real world restrictions of perspective and proportion.
They also frequently allow a free exploration of a sort of grotesque as a result of the jarring combination of different scaled elements.
I have added some of these collages to my eBay shop: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/394355872772
During my MA studies (Grays School of Art, 2019-2021) I was fortunate to receive a an award from the Royal Scottish Academy to spend time studying in Florence.
I took the opportunity to visit this autumn, and was in my element visiting chapels particularly to investigate the fresco’s of Giotto, Daddi, Gaddi, Masaccio and their workshops. Opened up a way forward to develop my methods of narrative drawing.
A highlight for me was the Palazzo Vecchio, which I visited a couple of times to admire the murals.
I will of course add some photos of my time there, and the outcomes, but for now here are so images of my journey from Elgin to Florence: Train from Elgin to Aberdeen- Bus from Aberdeen to Edinburgh bus station- arrive around 1am- start walking from Edinburgh bus station towards the airport- walk past Haymarket and Murrayfield- walk a few miles and give to wait for a bus, sweating through my hoodie and jacket- bus to airport, try to doze sitting against wall- early flight, self conscious about sweaty ness from big walk, fly to London, couple hours wait, eat a burger- fly to Florence, even more self conscious of sweaty stinkiness and regretting not just getting a bus to Edinburgh airport in the first place- arrive in Florence, tired but happy.
Wow, it’s been a while since I updated this site! I will be back soon, but for now, I have made a number of paintings available on eBay!
Check out the available work here:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/matwe9458
and pick up a Xmas bargain!
Some of the paintings added to my eBay store
Over the past week Or so I’ve been making small studies after Rubens and Titian paintings as a painting exercise.
Here are three that I’m currently working on.
All acrylic on canvas
Matt Wells Art 