Plein Air Painter

Kristian Matthews is a plein air oil painter based in Vacaville, CA. From an early age, growing up in Livionia, MI, Matthews possessed a natural affinity to art. As a child, he regularly participated in art contests and won awards for his work. Through his adolescent years, his focus shifted towards creating humorous comic-style drawings. It wasn’t until he began his formative years at community college that he began expand his interests in the fine art world. Matthews holds a BFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago with an emphasis on figure painting. Post-graduation and without a live model to paint from, he began his career in plein air painting. Matthews is well known for capturing natural light and is drawn to dramatic lighting and finds beauty in his daily environment. In 2022, Matthews won 1st place in Colibri Gallery’s 2nd Annual Morgan Hill Plein Air Paint Out Event.