Last summer, in the August heat, I ran around like a madwoman at Hunstock in Westminster MA, as the volunteer coordinator. In the blur of the weekend, as I took small bits of time to look at the different vendors, a beautiful display of artwork caught my eye: the work of Matt Doyle. To my surprise, I was blessed to receive a gorgeous print of his as a thank-you for my work at the expo. I have since been in contact with Matt about his work, which is absolutely phenomenal.
If you are someone who not only loves spending time outdoors but also loves to decorate your home and other spaces with the essence of the outdoors, Matt’s work is something you should consider adding to your collection.
Matt Doyle has loved the outdoors from a very young age, growing up in Pennsylvania. My dad and my grandfathers were always taking me out fishing until I was old enough to go hunting. Then that got thrown into the mix as well. I couldn't get enough of the outdoors as a kid, and that still applies today. Now that he has children of his own, they spend a lot of time outdoors together as a family, too.
I have a very young family: a 4-year-old boy and a 4-month-old little girl. Our boy enjoys any time he can get outdoors. We try to make some trips to the lake throughout the summer. He just started getting interested in hunting, so he sat in the treestand with me here for our PA rifle season for a day. He told everyone about the two squirrels we saw that day. My in-laws live in Eastern Montana, so when we are out there, we enjoy hiking outdoors and looking for sheds as well.
Matt Doyle attended the Pennsylvania College of Art and Design, where he graduated in 2009 with a degree in Fine Arts. Matt’s work varies between animals, landscapes, and even works with some ivory. Very recently, on his page, he showcased that he is painting his first ever piece on a moose antler, a piece I very much cannot wait to see finished. When I asked him how long an average piece might take, he said that he never has really logged his hours, but a piece like I have, which is 24×18, could be an estimated 70-80 hours of painting. I also asked him if he has a favorite subject to paint; he said fish and bighorn sheep were his favorite. Fish for the fact that I can get inventive with the underwater landscapes and bighorn sheep because they just have so much character to their horns and faces.
The Bobcat piece that I have in my office, which is one of 50, is extremely special. It was the cover of Fur Fish Game magazine. The funny thing there was I had always wanted to get on their cover. I was going to wait until the first of the year and send a postcard so they knew I existed with the slim chance they would ever contact me. In October, I got a call asking to be on the cover. To this day, I still don't really know where they found me, but either way, I'm thankful for it. Supposedly, “One Last Glance” was the chosen one, with nine others as options for that month. That was January, and later in May, I was selected again to be on their cover again. What a blessing.
Looking at his work, you can see the passion and the talent behind the artist. His love of the outdoors really shines through his work. When asked if he had a favorite piece that he has ever painted, he responded very candidly. Honestly, I don't have a favorite. Each new piece becomes my new favorite as I am working on it. They all bring their own sense of excitement.
You can find more on Matt’s work at https://www.mattdoylefineart.com.
