Jeff Mathison
Jeff Mathison has always been an artist. Raised in the Philadelphia suburbs, He graduated from Penn State in 1972 with a BFA degree. He so enjoyed the combination of town culture and woodsy countryside, that he never left Centre County, Pa.
Retired from a wonderful career doing graphics, mapping, and artist renderings for an archaeological consulting firm, he is now free to paint. For many years, Jeff experimented with a variety of artistic styles and media. Around 2002, he chose to concentrate on watercolor, which allows for colorful improvisation as well as exacting realism. He began taking photos of the local landscape when walking or biking in the woods. The resulting studio paintings were good but seemed stiff.
The plein air movement was a revelation for Jeff. After attending local outdoor painting events, he gained enough confidence to travel to Chincoteague VA, the Adirondacks, and even Moab, Utah for plein air events. It was quite an eye-opener to paint rolling ocean waves, or red rock canyons after all his years in green Pennsylvania! Outdoor painting obliges the artist to think fast. The light you see one minute may not be there the next. He believes the spontaneity and excitement carry over into his studio work, helping him bring both emotion and skill to the paper.
Jeff’s major interest is figure painting, in vintage clothing, or just nude. About ten years ago, he succeeded in combining the nudes with landscapes, by working from photos of models in natural settings. In this Free Spirit series, he depicts the harmony of the human spirit with the natural world.
Jeff Mathison continues to work as a freelance illustrator, specializing in illustrated maps for books and other publications. He recently provided over 30 illustrations for a popular book on genetic manipulation, "A Crack in Creation", by Jennifer Doudna and Sam Sternberg. In 2007, he created new maps for a reissue of the Princess Bride, by William Goldman.
What is the impetus of your creativity?
I see hundreds of stories all around me. I want to pick the best and render them in watercolor.
How has social media changed your art practice?
I am a reluctant social media warrior.
Which was your breakthrough piece? Tell us more about it.
The model I’ve worked with for many years once showed up for a photo shoot with a vintage, pink, pleated skirt. She was a big hit on Instagram and ignored me while she took selfies for her crowd. But the photo I took of her doing that became my best painting. I managed a very difficult passage of showing sun glowing through her dress pleats, while maintaining a realistic but loose style. That painting was accepted in the 2022 American Watercolor Society Exhibition!
When did you first sell an artwork to a collector? What is the story?
I exhibited in my first sidewalk art sale in the summer of 1972, propping the drawings and canvases on boards and bricks. Several people enjoyed my drawings of nude models enough to buy them. I met up with one woman a year ago and she was happy to show me the drawing was still on her wall!
Do you work in a series or is each artwork an independent statement?
I have a long-term project I call the “Free Spirit” series, featuring nudes in nature. I also have a series that updates the old stories from our mythology.
Did We Get the Shot? | Watercolor 20 x 14 inches