Matthew James Collins

The Champ, oil, ARC Salon Finalist, Portrait Society of America, Florence

2021

Tempest was painted over several days in the artist studio in Florence, Italy. The painting measures 25 x 21 with a handmade frame from Italy. This is oil on a linen panel which most artist use that have studied at the Academies in Italy. The model for this picture was a Sicilian girl who had recently moved to Florence to finish her studies. The possibilities and a new found personal freedom create a turbulence during a time of adjustment that are not always readily visible. The Tempest around us forces us to examine who we are. Artist Bio: For over 20 years, Matthew James Collins has been working as an artist in Florence, Italy. Originally from Oak Park, Illinois Matthew travelled to Italy to complete is artistic formation after receiving a BA in the History of Art and Architecture and studying at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. His initial trip was a epiphany that changed the trajectory of his life. Walking the same streets of the Renaissance greats, like Michelangelo, Leonardo, Titian and Veronese proved to be a constant inspiration. Italy is a magic place where art and beauty permeate the very cultural fabric of society. Collins returned to live and work in Florence, Italy in 2000. The opportunity to study in depth the masterpieces of figurative art formed a unique sensibility that continues to shape his work even today. He also sought out training from the dwindling population of master craftsmen that continued artistic traditions that date back to antiquity. His artistic magnitude grew to include fresco painting and terracotta, marble and bronze statuary. Matthew practices classical techniques painting and sculpture to produce contemporary and relevant work. He shares his acquired knowledge through his teaching studio in Florence, Italy. Not limited to a single genre his oeuvre includes portraiture, landscape, decoration and figurative subjects. An accomplished portrait artist, Collins regularly completes a variety of commission work ranging from corporate executives to small children. With numerous awards the quality of Matthew's work has been recognized by the National Sculpture Society, Portrait Society of America, Art Renewal Center, Art Laguna prize (Venice, Italy), and the ModPortrait 2016(Barcelona, Spain). His paintings are represented in the permanent collection of the MEAM museum in Barcelona, Spain and Museum of the Basilica of Mary Queen of the Universe in Orlando, Florida.