Meet Matthew Hamilton Ross | Painter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Matthew Hamilton Ross and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Matthew, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I think I couldn’t help it. I understand the world visually. My memories are visual, my dreams are visual and so my art is visual. It started with sketches, in the margins and between lines of notes in school: It was, unconsciously, the medium that I used to process my reality. Once I embraced that way of interpreting the world around me, making images became something of a compulsion for me. So, my art has become an outlet for everything that I absorb. The first time I painted a portrait, I was hooked. This was an enormous step forward for me and it opened a world of possibilities. I have continued to paint people, which I feel is a great challenge. When I paint, I’m attempting to describe the essence of someone on a piece of panel. It introduces a lot of uncertainty to my art. But I relish it. I’m captivated by it. It’s always fresh. I wake up every day wanting to push myself further and explore. Creating art gives me a good reason to live a full life beyond it.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I get excited about the quiet stories of human expression. It’s difficult to create these kinds of images intentionally, but I’ve found fulfillment in entering a state similar to the active imagination process. How does one form something like awakening, awkwardness, or patience as a visual moment? I describe these bodily experiences in many ways, through color, my brushwork, and the actual material process. I create forms that feel subconsciously primordial to me, and as such, I hope they will create an intimate relationship with a viewer. I work primarily on found wood panels that I collect here in Los Angeles, taking pieces of furniture and construction material and layering more stories on top of them. This was initially a financial practicality, one that allowed me to paint more frequently and on a larger scale. Since then, it has morphed into an intentional process where I will walk my neighborhood in search of a future canvas, and in many cases, I will discover stories along the way. In fact, I think it’s this physical and imaginative journey of finding, exploring, and preparing materials that ultimately reveals the figures that I paint.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m living and working in Mid-City at the moment, so I’d start with coffee and chess on Saturday morning at Palm Grove Social. I’d hit some of the great art galleries on Washington Boulevard before getting late lunch at the best Thai spot on the West Side, Tree House Thai. After checking out some vintage shops and Little Fatty market in Mar Vista, we’d end the night at Irish Times Pub in Palms, for some good beers, Guinness stew, and pool.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
When I think about the many people who have shaped my work so far, my grandparents come to mind first. Both of my grandmothers are incredible artists in their own right and my grandfather was a professor of art history. Each shared their love for art in unique ways that I am infinitely grateful for. I vividly remember painting with both my grandmothers as a kid and visits to the National Gallery with my grandfather. It’s not often we discover things without someone to guide us to them. This warm kaleidoscope of memories leads me to where I am today.

Website: matthewrossarts.com

Instagram: @matthewrossarts

Other: matthewrossarts@gmail.com