LIGHT ARISES IN THE DARKNESS:
A Journal of Comfort, Encouragement, and Inspiration
All Moved In
It’s been a little while since my last post. The craziness of the holiday season is over now, and it’s time to get back to writing. Lately, I’ve been busy setting up my new studio at Artisan Forge Studios. (1107 Mondovi Rd., Eau Claire, WI–across from Walgreen’s on Clairemont Ave) They put up some of my art and info on their website too, if you’d like to check that out. It’s easy to underestimate the amount of work it takes to move your business, equipment, and supplies, even out of a 9′ x 13′ room. But stuff had been accumulating for a while tucked neatly (sometimes) onto shelves, but once the shelves came down I realized half of it isn’t needed and it’s not coming to the new studio. This is really the first time I’ve moved anything major in over 13 years. Even though it’s not a whole house move, I forgot the dynamics of moving and all the downtime involved. My new studio room is a 12′ x 12′. It’s a little bigger than my old 9′ x 13′ studio, if you measure by the floor plan, but vertically, it’s like comparing the Wells Fargo building in Eau Claire to the Sears Tower. My old home studio just clears my head at about 6 1/2 feet, but the new studio is nearly 10 feet tall. Goliath’s head would just barely be touching the ceiling of my new studio, whereas in my old one he would look like the Hunchback of Notre Dame! I’m glad to have this extra space for storage and working on larger canvases.... read more
New Colored Pencil Drawing–Pet Portrait
Several weeks ago, I drove to Boyd, WI to drop off a colored pencil portrait of a black lab for a client. When I went to knock on the door, I was surprised to see a complete stranger standing in front of me. For a second, I thought I had the wrong house! It turned out, the lady standing in front of me was to be my next client. She was a friend of the lady whose black lab (and blue merle) I had drawn. After we were introduced and having seen that drawing, she wanted one done of her dog, too. So here it is: This is “Sydney,” her golden retriever, a drawing in memory of her. 16 x 20, colored pencil on paper. I also included a couple in progress shots as well. I used to do colored pencil drawings all the time back in high school–it’s nice going back to my roots! I start off with a regular No.2 graphite pencil, and then fill in key areas of contrast with a sepia tone colored pencil. The key is to keep the tip very sharp! Then I work my way left to right, starting with cooler, darker tones, and finishing with warmer, lighter tones. Working from left to right keeps what I’ve already drawn from smudging. And here is the final portrait. I dropped it off right before Christmas–my client was happy and told me it looked just like her. Let me know if you’d like a pet portrait done too, or know someone who does! Share Your Thoughts! If you have any comments or questions about this post, please... read more
New Old Portrait Drawing
I was doing a little cleaning when I discovered a CD that had a file saved on it I thought was lost. It was the image of this drawing here, a commission I did back in 2010. If I remember correctly, this was the drawing I did for a gentleman at my church–the commission that helped bring in the rent money when I was a month behind. I’m glad I found this portrait again–it’s one of my favorites! He wanted to commemorate his parents wedding anniversary–I think it was their 70th, but again, this was 5 years ago, so I’m not sure. This is an 11 x 14 pencil on paper drawing, and it took over 20 hours to complete. I got a really great scan of this drawing that captured the detail and texture of the graphite in the paper. First is the entire drawing and then below that are some close-ups…thanks for looking! In the detail below, we see them at the time of their wedding, along with an image of their church. Below, of course, is the picture of this couple when they are well advanced in years. In the lower right is an image of the family farm. And here’s the detail of that. I love doing custom commissioned portraits like this, where I can incorporate elements that are near and dear to the people being portrayed. When they receive this as a gift, it is extra special to them, to not only have a portrait of the two of them, but to proudly display the longevity of their marriage and interweave them into the... read more
When I Couldn’t Make Rent
Last week, I shared part of my story on how I became a professional artist. Here is “the rest of the story.” Instead of just calling it, “Part 2,” I want to title this post according to the main problem I faced, which at the time was not having enough money for rent. I hope that my experience can encourage you, too, if you are going through a rough time right now. The sketch shown above is a quick drawing I did that reminds me of Job–that man in the Bible who suffered probably like no one else on this earth ever did, except maybe Jesus and the apostle Paul. Great story of going through a trial and coming out on top! I encourage you to read it sometime. My story was nothing like that, but I sure felt like Job when I was going through it. Maybe you have, too. After my sales/service job was downsized during the great recession of 2008, I had made the choice to go into doing artwork full time. At first things were great. Several people in my church asked me to do portraits for them and business was rolling along. And then… My commissions ran out around September of 2009. It didn’t take long to fall behind on bills. We were almost two months behind on rent. Things were not looking good. I thought, “maybe I need to scrap this whole artist thing and get a real job.” However, my wife advised: “You need to do what God has called you to do. We need to fast and pray.” “How long?” I... read more
How I Became a Professional Artist Part 1
When I was 14, I had my first art commission, back in 1991. My mom’s friend asked me to draw a pencil portrait montage of one of her close friends. That started the ball rolling, and I did a few commissioned portraits while yet in high school. During high school, my art teachers encouraged me to pursue a career in the arts. I took that advice to heart and attended Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design in 1996. I did well, averaging a 3.8 GPA, but with the extremely high tuition cost I left after a year. Since that time, I worked in several jobs over the years–dishwashing, ad designing, retail sales, vacuum repair, recycling–but I was always hesitant to do art full time. It was just something that I thought would “happen” down the road when things lined up perfectly, or I got that mysterious “breakthrough.” Then, in 2008, I was 31 years old, traveling on the road away from home, days on end, working at a fairly high-paying but stressful training/manager job. I was gone so much that my baby son didn’t know even who I was when I returned. On a Sunday afternoon, my mother in law asked me this question: “Matt, why are you continuing in this dead-end job? What is it do you think you’re meant to do?” I said, “I think I’m supposed to be doing art full time.” She replied pointedly, “Well, why aren’t you doing it then?” “Because I don’t know if my bills will get paid.” “What?! And God can’t meet your needs? He can’t take care of you?” That was... read more
About Me
Hi, I’m Matt Philleo. I create artwork to comfort, encourage, and inspire. For those who are discouraged, brokenhearted and experiencing loss, my artwork has special meaning, often by guiding them to the One who can bring true peace and lasting joy.
I’ve been doing art on commission and exhibition on a part-time basis since 1991, and exclusively full-time since 2013. Currently, I live in Eau Claire, WI with my wife and three children.
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