Portraits to Comfort, Encourage and Inspire
"Come as Children," 16 x 20, acrylic on canvas portrait, Copyright 2017 by Matt Philleo, artist.
"Picking up the Mantle" 16 x 20, acrylic on canvas, by artist Matt Philleo
"Rebuilding the Broken, 16 x 20, acrylic on canvas, depicting Nehemiah rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem, an illustration by artist Matt Philleo for a book by Russell Stendal, published by Aneko Press, 2018
"Bethel Mural: The Gospel from Genesis to Revelation", by artists Dave Mattison and Matt Philleo, 2013, panel 2, detail
"Strength to Rise", 16 x 20, acrylic on canvas by artist Matt Philleo, copyright 2017
"Victory in Surrender" 16 x 20, acrylic on canvas, by Matt Philleo.
Portraits to Comfort, Encourage and Inspire
Hi, I’m Matt Philleo. Since 1991, I have been creating detailed, realistic pencil drawings and acrylic paintings on commission and exhibition.
My goal is, through beautiful and emotive art, to bring comfort, encouragement, and inspiration, especially to the discouraged and brokenhearted, so they can experience true and lasting peace.
Please contact me if you have any questions and visit my blog posts to see my most current work. If you’d like to be added to my personal and confidential email list, sign up right here.
To learn more about my custom portraits, visit TraditionStudio.com, my official commissioned artwork page
Thanks for visiting!
“Inscribed”
14″ x 17″
Pencil on Paper
UPCOMING SHOWS:
- 11th Annual Artisans Showcase–Merrill, WI. February 9, 2019 | 12-4:30PM (More info)
- Realistic Acrylic Portraits: A Two-Day Worskshop. March 12-13, 10:30AM-3:30PM (More info)
Here’s the Latest From My Blog…
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
I do Custom Fine Art Portraits from Your Photo.
For more info, click on the image, and it will take you to Tradition Studio.com, my official commissioned artwork website.
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