matthew barratt-jones

Biography

I began painting seriously around 2010 . Until then I hadn't the patience to really connect with the process of putting brush to canvas . I am a professional tattoo artist by trade and after learning a great deal of patience through my job I finally began to learn the disciplines of oil painting . Since then I haven't looked back and find myself compelled to paint whenever I can . Portraits speak to me and are the driving force behind my work , but more and more I feel the need to communicate not just a sense of the subject - but also a sense of myself within each work . I try to achieve this using layers, and freedom within brushstrokes, allowing the viewer to look behind the face in the painting and see a little of my soul in the gaps and flourishes.