Artist | Creator
Born Matthew John Montero in Covington, Louisiana, on June 22, 1988, he was deeply immersed in art from an early age. His father was a self-made entrepreneur and lifelong passionate art collector and his mother was naturally gifted at painting and drawing. Montero did not formally take up painting until the winter of 2007, where the expression of the human condition played a major role. From the beginning, his instinct for emotional depth, intensity, and strength of composition was clear.
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He has always used his bare hands to paint.
This unique mastery of using his fingers like brushes gives his paintings a compelling and original intensity, with no brush marks or trace elements. Montero explains:
"For me, painting has always been a confrontation. Using my hands allows me to feel the canvas and subject directly. It's an honest transfer with nothing in-between."
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Painting Process
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(Collection of documented paintings 2007-2017)
Raw footage of Montero painting Bruce Lee.
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Montero's portraits are done entirely freehanded; meaning there is NO pasted or projected tracing of an image onto the canvas.
"I remember it just came more natural than a brush. I instantly felt more connected to what I was painting. I feel an artist has to earn his subject. A painter must go straight onto the canvas and let instinct take over."
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