Matt Wood

Autumn Le'

2012-02-07T19:05:00.000-08:00

Oil painting of a good friend

Ryan Adams Poster

2012-02-04T20:55:00.000-08:00

If you are a fan of Ryan Adams or the Walt Disney Concert Hall-

check out the show.

These silk screened posters should be available at the venue.

Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

2012-02-03T10:02:00.000-08:00

Reservoir Dogs Poster

2012-02-02T13:58:00.000-08:00

This poster was inspired by the artist, Swoboda.
Just wanted to have some fun.

8x8s

2011-03-28T01:42:00.000-07:00

Just Waiting For It

In the Day Light

Pieces from Giant Robot's Power Punch show, curated by Mark Todd.

"Fair Game"

2010-10-20T11:54:00.000-07:00

"Fair Game" is an acrylic painting on Mylar®, measuring 4 feet high by 13 feet wide. It depicts multiple carnal activities occurring across an autumn landscape simultaneously. As the domestic humans hunt the wild game, the wild fox hunts the domestic fowl. All is fair in this game of fleshly desires. This piece was recently shown in Los Angeles at the La Luz de Jesus Gallery.

Everyday Girls

2010-10-18T13:11:00.000-07:00

Some of the sketches that were not chosen for a project I worked on for the hip cosmetic company, Everyday Minerals. The project was a series of girls that represent their clients - which are young, confident, and cool. The series will first launch as a set of tote bags with graphics. Should be dope- keep an eye out if yer in to cosmetics.

The River and Rogov

2010-07-13T18:15:00.000-07:00

This is a drawing of my very good friend, Rachel Rogov

The Quick & the Digital (random sketches)

2010-07-13T18:09:00.000-07:00

A Hidden Moment

2010-07-06T17:34:00.000-07:00

I found this on the floor beneath a pile of the past - not sure when I made it.
It seems pleasant though.

A Digital Study of a Charley Harper Painting

2010-06-24T13:50:00.000-07:00

Observations

2010-06-24T13:46:00.000-07:00

An experimental digital painting about things that inspire or invoke interest.

Scenes From Faust

2010-06-14T14:12:00.000-07:00

A few selected scenes from a production of "Faust" that I worked on a while back. The scenes depict the introduction of Mephisto and Faust, set in a desert city in the neighborhood of Iran. In the story, a mutt follows the character, Faust, around until eventually morphing into Mephisto. I added a chase scene for fun and then had both Mephisto and Faust run across the backs of praying Muslims to emphasize the character's regards towards religion (no disrespect intended). The cat chasing the mouse on the first page is the opening scene to the production and is meant as a metaphor to the entire story.

A Few More Pages From "Limb-To-Limb"

2010-06-14T13:48:00.000-07:00

"The Fox Hunt"

2010-06-11T19:58:00.000-07:00

The "Fox Hunt" is another piece on the subject of mom's in prison. The hunt represents society's pursuit of the criminal and the affects that the empowered have on the powerless. The painting is on Mylar® and is sixteen feet by four feet. It was recently on display in the student gallery at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena.

Limb-To-Limb: a book of climbing for children

2010-05-24T03:20:00.000-07:00

Here are some out-of-order layouts from my children's book, "Limb-To-Limb". The book follows two kids as they climb-up or climb-down a tree (depending on which way you look at it). They play and discover as well as shrink and grow according to the size of the branches they occupy on any particular page. What fun!
The book unfolds into a large accordion-style scroll of the tree. Photos of the book as a product coming shortly.

Their Summer Home

2010-05-24T03:13:00.000-07:00

Gouache painting of Pygmy Jerobas chillin` outside their summer home in the desert

Digital comp

Quick color study

Menu for The Wall: An Indian Restaurant for Kids

2010-05-24T03:01:00.000-07:00

Ganesh and the lotus flower both have significant cultural values in India. I tried to utilize these elements to communicate culture as well as cuisine.

The painting is all in gouache and it was a bunch of fun.

A mock-up menu for a mock-up restaurant. I thought the illustration by mid-century illustrator, Gyo Fujikawa, was so charming, sweet, and pleasant that it would be a great launching point for my childrens menu project.

Icebergs vs. Ships

2010-05-24T02:53:00.000-07:00

Gouache sketches about the northern seas and its perils.

Old Sketches of Eaton Canyon & Owen

2010-05-18T15:07:00.000-07:00

My friends Wayne Johnson & Owen Freeman (pictured lower right) always inspire me to do more. I love lil' paintings of nature. More to follow.

Poster Ideas for Design Matters

2010-02-12T03:14:00.001-08:00

Day Breaker

2010-02-08T01:06:00.001-08:00

no hitch hikers next 20 miles

2010-02-04T03:08:00.000-08:00

These are paintings on mylar® about prisons existing off the freeway and community service. Both sides of each painting are seen here.

the sorcerer's apprentice

2010-02-04T02:55:00.001-08:00

the yard

2010-02-04T02:52:00.001-08:00

aeterna est tolerantia

2010-01-21T23:25:00.001-08:00

I've been working on a series of paintings about Moms in prison…

Their Scent~The Rose & the Beast

2010-01-19T18:34:00.000-08:00

YaY! The Society of Illustrators 51st Annual of American Illustration
is finally out & this piece is featured in the "Book Section".

The Flipside

2009-12-10T23:12:00.000-08:00

These are the flip side of the paintings from my previous post. Paintings seen in reverse like this reveal the history of the brushstrokes and the process of mark making.

VanHavermaat Series: 1

2009-12-10T19:18:00.001-08:00

Some Old Op-Ed Sketches

2009-11-23T01:18:00.001-08:00

The Fallen

2009-11-21T00:25:00.001-08:00

Red Chimney

2009-11-19T04:10:00.001-08:00

My study of a Charles Demuth watercolor.

Some rearranging never hurt anyone.

Last Night

2009-11-18T00:20:00.000-08:00

2009-10-25T22:48:00.001-07:00

Mom's Home

2009-10-11T22:01:00.001-07:00

An addition to the Moms in Prison series ≈ 5'x5'

Thas My Dog

2009-10-10T20:37:00.001-07:00

Along the Line

2009-10-10T00:33:00.001-07:00

2009-10-07T21:22:00.001-07:00

Rachel

2009-09-18T20:43:00.001-07:00

Heather

2009-05-19T18:46:00.001-07:00

Parker

2009-05-12T21:28:00.000-07:00

back to school again - Jiggity-Jig

McSweeney's Book Cover

2009-04-24T17:45:00.001-07:00

This class project is a book cover made for McSweeney's Book publishing. The book jacket unfolds into a poster and illustrates the mocked-up story of a middle-aged botanist who has never been in love, yet his mind is forever yearning for the opposite sex. The man travels the globe and the afterlife in search for love.

Look Familiar

2009-04-16T19:04:00.000-07:00

One more contribution to the Clif Bar make-series, which is all about Clif Bars being perfect for active individuals that are always on the move, in all walks of life.
This is a painting on vellum made for the illustration above.

Possible Cliff Bar Make-Overs

2009-04-04T13:42:00.001-07:00

These are some color comps for possible new Cliff Bar illustrations. A bit of exploring is all.

SNAP!

2009-03-26T21:02:00.001-07:00

I was in a class painting this model on the ground in China Town, Los Angeles, just outside Papa Louie's pagoda, when I noticed that actor Jason Lee had been watching. He was with Ethan Suplee and they were in full photo gear, snapping their SLRs at this or that every once in a while. I am pretty sure that they had more interest in our model than our drawings of her. I kept imagining him busting his coined 360 kickflip, on his Stereo brand skateboard, SNAP! right over her fallen form.

We are a part of the ...

2009-03-22T18:55:00.001-07:00

NEW YORK TIMES 'T MAGAZINE' COVER

2009-03-20T14:22:00.000-07:00

This mock-up illustration for a class accompanies the article, "The Greening of Geopolitics", written by Thomas Friedman, from April of 2007. The article focuses on America's potential to "regain its global leadership ... through newer, greener technology" and lifestyle. One of the main arguments of the article states how America must free itself from the petroauthoritarians that have been holding unnecessary power over too many for too long. According to the article, developing countries must leave the over-consumption of fossil fuels behind and embrace alternative energy sources within the next fifty years; otherwise, the concentration of carbon dioxide may double in the Earth's atmosphere resulting with the entire ecosystem crumbling. I am attempting to communicate how terribly close we are placing DANGER within our life supporting ECOSYSTEM. The sun beyond the horizon is either rising or it is setting - our actions over the next fifty years may determine which.

Prelude to the Summer of Cicadas

2009-03-16T00:11:00.000-07:00

A matte painting done for a movie that will never be realized . . .

The Cowboys-Coolidge, Roosevelt, Reagan, & Johnson

2009-03-15T23:42:00.000-07:00

These illustrations were done for the Autry Museum during their "Cowboys & Presidents" show, last summer. They were used in an interactive game that they had set up on the museum kiosks - the game's intent was to educate kids about what each president had accomplished and exactly why they were considered the cowboys of presidents.

From an Older SketchBook (roughly 3 years back)

2009-03-07T18:28:00.000-08:00

Silly Scribbles of Guys on Napkins

2009-03-06T13:55:00.001-08:00

John Cheever's "The Five-Forty-Eight"

2009-03-05T22:01:00.000-08:00

This is a digital collage I mocked up to paint from as a model. It depicts the moment that Blake, Cheever's protagonist, realizes that he's being followed by his vengeful ex-secretary, Miss Dent.

This is the first painted sketch.

This is the pseudo-final version.

Ground Control To Major Tom

2009-02-27T20:02:00.001-08:00

This piece is obviously inspired by the absolute only - David Bowie
http://www.davidbowie.com/index.php

DooDah Excercises

2009-02-27T19:58:00.001-08:00

Odd Gathering

2009-02-27T19:03:00.001-08:00

Departure

2009-02-12T14:11:00.000-08:00

This is mostly an ink with acrylic painting. The image is a shout out to the creator of "Madeline", John Bemelmans, and the photographer, Andre Kertesz. The painting is meant to demonstrate an early childhood moment of departure towards independence, an act of deviance. I thought it might look nice as a cover for The New Yorker.

Union Station - Nearly Forever Ago

2009-02-02T10:39:00.001-08:00

Noble Beasts

2009-01-26T12:05:00.000-08:00

At Phillipe's in Los Angeles

2009-01-23T16:31:00.001-08:00

They Deserve It

2009-01-23T16:28:00.000-08:00

The Rose and the Beast: my first winner . . .

2009-01-22T20:14:00.003-08:00

This illustration is inspired by a single page of text from Francesca Lia Block's book, "The Rose & the Beast". Her book retells familiar fairy tales, both surreal and obscure, that are delicately filled with evocative language. Block explores the elements of love and terror that often fill fairy tales; yet, she puts on display just how primal these stories are. These were the qualities that I attempted to depict in this illustration. I was hoping that egg tempera’s mysterious and delicate nature would best communicate the mood of her stories.

Our Last First Date Ever

2009-01-22T20:14:00.001-08:00

This unfortunate series depicts some of the sweeter memories that pass through a man's head at the moment that he discovers his girl friend dead in the bathtub after committing suicide via the slit wrists route. Each image is from a location in Los Angeles: the top most image is from my home in Altadena, the next down is in Echo Park, the next is at the Batman cave, the next is at the Farmer's Market on Fairfax, then the top of HollyWood Hill, and the last is at the abandoned zoo in L.A.

One Day I'll Use This Treasure Map

2009-01-22T20:12:00.001-08:00

"The Hollow Men" from Thomas Wolfe

2009-01-22T20:11:00.001-08:00

I am honored to have this piece chosen for American Illustration 28

Rocker, Leroy "HorseMouth" Wallace

2009-01-22T20:10:00.001-08:00

Evolved From Our Natural Curious Selections

2009-01-22T20:09:00.001-08:00

Op-Ed Piece: Is Sonar Killing the Whales

2009-01-22T20:08:00.001-08:00

a Line-Up

2009-01-22T20:07:00.001-08:00

Faust

2009-01-22T20:03:00.001-08:00

Gretchen

2009-01-22T20:01:00.002-08:00

Mephisto

2009-01-22T20:01:00.001-08:00

Insatiable

2009-01-22T18:57:00.001-08:00

Say, What's Up With That

2009-01-22T18:56:00.001-08:00

You Never Know What Could Be In There 3' x 3'

2009-01-22T18:55:00.001-08:00

She's A Real Looker

2009-01-22T18:54:00.001-08:00

The City Night Slicks 3' x 3'

2009-01-22T18:53:00.001-08:00

My American Country Dream House 2' x 3'

2009-01-22T18:51:00.001-08:00

American Country 3' x 5'

2009-01-22T18:50:00.001-08:00

Experiments With Pigments and Designs

2009-01-22T18:47:00.001-08:00

2009-01-22T18:46:00.001-08:00

2009-01-22T18:44:00.002-08:00

2009-01-22T18:38:00.001-08:00

2009-01-22T18:34:00.001-08:00

Lizard Boy

2009-01-10T12:49:00.001-08:00

I worked with an eight year old boy on this watercolor painting. The illustration of the boy's home made hero, "Lizard Boy", is in the middle of saving the village of Sierra Madre from a giant mutated Wisteria plant, that happens to be tickling everyone to death.

Wilhelm Washes Maillol

2009-01-08T19:10:00.001-08:00

Throughout this multimedia piece I was attempting to develop a dialogue between different modern sculptors- Aristide Maillol, Lehmbruck Wilhelm, and Auguste Rodin. Wilhelm's "Inclined Head of a Kneeling Woman" is dressed in an environmental suit and is in the middle of scrubbing down Maillol's laying woman, "River", while Rodin's sculpture of "Eve" waits for her cleansing beyond the mist in the background. (Environmental Suit provided by the COLORS of Benetton)