When Matt was ten, his family moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico and he found a new culture & history to explore. His father opened an art gallery & picture framing shop, where he spent much time during the summers. Matt liked to draw & paint, and getting to know many of the local artists encouraged him to seriously consider a career as an artist.
In 1975 Matt married Nancy, and a year later, moved to Bellingham, WA to see the Northwest. He began attending art classes at Western Washington University, but when their first daughter was born, a paying job became a more immediate necessity. An ad in the local paper with the heading "Artists Wanted" caught his eye. It was for the Alaskan Silver and Ivory Company (ASI) which made handcrafted scrimshaw jewelry. Matt was hired as a scrimshander, and was soon learning the craft that had caught his imagination years earlier.
The work was production oriented & tedious, but the working environment was inspiring. The twenty or so artists there, along with others that had come and gone since its start in 1973, had created a renaissance in scrimshaw that served as an incubator for creativity and innovation. Much of what came to be known as the "West Coast" school of scrimshaw came out of ASI, such as the use of full color, a break from the traditional themes, and a refinement of techniques and craftsmanship to achieve realism with intricate detail.
In 1980, ASI closed down, but there was still a growing market for larger display pieces on fossil walrus and mammoth ivory. Some ASI artists joined other independent scrimshanders in the freelance market. Matt was fortunate to be invited to share a studio with several of the best: Kelly Mulford, Karen Petersen, Mary Gregg Byrne, Gary Dorning, and Joel Cowan. This presented Matt with the opportunity to learn from other scrimshanders, refine his skill, and develop his own style. Today, most of the Bellingham scrimshanders have moved on to other parts of the country, or to work in other mediums, or on to other careers entirely. Matt says that scrimshaw can be slow and difficult, but appreciates ivory is a unique medium. Matt feels fortunate to have been able to work in this craft for the past twenty-five years, and hopes to continue scribing for many more.
Matt has an extensive Gallery & “Recent Works” sections on his website. He accepts commissions, and can be contact through his websit.e Bellingham Scrimshaw, or by phone at 360-671-9026.
The bull African elephant is on elephant ivory, and the big cats are on Mammoth ivory.
Matt's stipple work is evident is all three examples.
www.BellinghamScrimshaw.com
for images of more recent scrimwork