The Show

Meet the Artists

Your Portraits

Interview Matthew.

SP: Why do you think you think you are interested in portraiture and figurative work?

MT: I’m interested in portraiture and figurative work because I find the human form a very intriguing and complex subject to paint.  I’m inspired by the way artists in the Renaissance could tell a story of action and emotion through a single portrait or in a large narrative painting with many figures.

SP: How would you describe your work to someone who has never seen it before?

MT: To someone who has never seen my work I would describe it as naturalistic. I say naturalistic because I’m trying to convey my sense of the real world on the canvas by accurately capturing perspective, colour and form to give the viewer the illusion of space and subject.

SP: Why do you think you are compelled to paint portraits?

MT: Because I love the human face. There is something beautiful in every face and so much to see when you look at a person. I enjoy trying to capture a feeling or look that conveys something that we can all relate to as humans as well as what is unique to the sitter.

SP: How do you maintain momentum in your art practice?

MT: Momentum is always a hard thing to maintain in art. An idea that you might think is amazing at first could fall apart once it’s developed and an idea that just pops up might work for several paintings. So, I always try to look for new subjects to paint, whether it is a landscape, a face or an object and I try to write it down so that if I’m ever without an idea I can flip through past ones and see if they’re still suitable for a more developed painting.

SP: Are there subjects you prefer to paint?

MT: I’ve always preferred to paint people, but I have started to paint landscapes and am really enjoying painting outside and trying to capture the beauty of nature.

SP: Was your experience on Star Portraits different from what you thought it was going to be?

MT: It was much different than I thought it was going to be. It’s strange seeing behind the scenes of a half hour show. There was lots of waiting around and then doing things a few times on camera to get it from different angles. And, of course, being on camera was quite nerve racking.

SP: Were you surprised to have Sean Cullen as the celebrity sitter?

MT: Honestly, I was just hoping I knew who the person was. Fortunately, I knew Sean Cullen and really like his work. I’m happy I got him because he was a great personality to paint and very funny to work with.

SP: Where do you see yourself and your art in the future? MT: I look forward to having shows and teaching. My work, hopefully, will continue to mature in technique and subject matter so I can create work that I’m proud of and that

Artist Stats

Matthew Tarini is a young realist painter living in Toronto. Now he builds upon this training and explores different ways of expressing himself with paint. Recently he has been referring to the works of other artists he admires for inspiration, ideas and new techniques. He is particularly interested in portraiture and figurative work and is actively building a body of work in this genre