Matthew Makela Abstract Paintings

Born – Rota, Spain, 1981


        I’ve always enjoyed creating art, though I did not consider myself an ‘artist’ until a couple of years ago. Before then, I would have thought of myself as more of a musician than a painter, as I love listening to and playing music.  Much of my inspiration came from my environment and early experiences, as the arts were loved and encouraged by my family.  We lived in Hawaii when I was very young, moved to Ohio when I was seven years old, and three years later to Groton, Connecticut. 

            Because of a series of life-changing events in my early twenties, and the need to express and work-out emotions in a more solid form, painting became a natural and necessary outlet for me.  My first works of this period were true expressions: raw images, unfiltered and unaffected by a preconception of what art should be.  The creation of art was purely a healing process, which continues for me today.

            As I began to train myself and learned to appreciate art in a broad sense, my skills began to develop and I wanted to show my work.  I participated in my first show in New London in 2006 and others since then, including juried shows in Connecticut and Rhode Island.

            Currently I am using a more calculated approach, attempting to employ all I have learned in the past few years while still trying to keep the raw feel of my older work.  I look forward to seeing how my art will evolve in 2008, and am optimistic about how my art may progress in the future.



Exhibitions

-           “Art in the Atrium” – New London, CT, Nov. – Dec. 2006

-         “Invitational Small Works Show”, Joyce Ellen Gallery –
            New London, CT, Dec. 2006

-         “The Second Crossing”, annual juried exhibition, Hygienic Gallery –
              New London, CT , Mar. 2007

-           “ACGOW Regional Art Exhibit”, juried show - Westerly, RI.  May, 2007

-           “Third Crossing”, annual juried exhibition,

              Hygienic Gallery – April 2008 :  first prize.

 -                     “Moments, Matter and Cosmic Order”  Hygienic Gallery, June 2008

-          "Art=Gift" - Hygienic Gallery , Dec. 2008

-          "The Fourth Crossing" - juried show - Hygienic, Apr - May, 2009

-          "16th Regional Art Exhibit" - ACGOW, juried - Apr. May - 2009

-          "53rd Regional" - Mystic Arts Center - juried - August - Sept. 2009