Matthew grew up on a dairy farm somewhere in the welsh hills and in spite of his great love and appreciation of the outdoors he steered clear of a career in the family business (mostly but not completely because he doesn't digest dairy well). Instead he read and drew almost compulsively and has continued to do so because he never especially wanted a proper job.
He graduated from University College Falmouth in 2012.
Wanting a change of scene Matthew moved to Edinburgh and worked as a children's bookseller in Blackwell's Bookshop, which then took him to Oxford and rekindled his passion for fiction and storytelling.
Matthew has picked up his pencils again and for the time being is back in Wales, currently skulking in the studio he's rigged together in his grandmother's attic.
Matthew is influenced by heros from the golden age of British book illustration, including Arthur Rackham, Beatrix Potter and William Heath Robinson. He utilizes ink linework and watercolour and a touch of digital tweaking to breathe life into his unusual characters.
In his spare time Matthew is ticking National Trust properties off his 'to visit' list from which he draws a lot of inspiration and detail, and because of the gift shops.
[show less]
