Westfield Athenaeum to feature artwork by Matlock

Date: 1/22/2010

WESTFIELD The Westfield Athenaeum will present the artwork of John Matlock. He is an artist like his father before him.

Growing up he watched and studied his father Thomas paint landscapes in oil mediums in their basement studio in West Springfield.

Thirty-six years later Matlock now paints in the same studio with the same easel applying the lessons he learned from his father while his children now watch on.

He studied art at Holyoke Community College and the University of Massachusetts concentrating in painting.

His artwork is inspired by such artists as Andrew Wyeth, Edward Hopper and Norman Rockwell. Matlock has sold his artwork across the country at juried outdoor art festivals, indoor exhibits, and online from his Web site, and stays based mostly in New England.

His paintings of country barns and places long forgotten have been described as lonely and sometimes melancholy, yet they invoke a feeling of nostalgia at the same time.

He has also mastered the subject matter of marine life. His undersea environments draw you into an ocean world that make you become one with the painting. All of his work can be seen on his Web site, www.johnmatlockartwork.com

The exhibit can be seen during regular library hours: Monday through Thursday, 8:3 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday and Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.