We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Matthew Stuart Piper a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Matthew Stuart, appreciate you joining us today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

It’s a true blessing and joy to make a living selling my fine art photography. True blessing.

As I capture both visible and infrared light with a special camera system, I create unique artistic pieces with the precision of photography and the creative control of painting. I call them “Dreamscapes”.

People are always surprised there isn’t much computer editing involved; it all starts with a unique camera system and lens filters that provide me with unique gamuts of the electromagnetic spectrum. The addition of infrared light allows me to create art with unique glow, tone and hues that wouldn’t be possible otherwise.

I sell my work online, but also by going state to state doing fine art shows. It’s an absolute pleasure to meet so many interesting people and share stories and jokes along the way with new collectors.

Matthew Stuart, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I got into infrared photography back in 2001 and immediately fell in love with the surreal quality of the art form.

I started selling my work back in 2004 using B&W film and adding color by hand-painting.

Currently, I have a very high quality digital photography system that allows me an incredible amount of resolution and creative control.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For me, it’s being able to create truly unique artistic visions that inspire others with their peaceful, sublime, natural beauty. My work has the clarity of reality, but has a surreal feeling due to the color palettes and infrared glow.

To be your own boss, follow your passion, and to create artwork that others use to beautify their home is profoundly rewarding – and it is a blessing I’m extremely grateful for.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

One thing non-artists may not realize is how challenging it can be to travel to different cities week to week to set up a temporary art booth that has the splendor of a more permanent gallery. It’s actually a lot of work, physically and mentally, to both construct the booths every week and then invest so deeply in all the visitors that like to hear about the art and invest in it. But don’t get me wrong – it’s more than worth it. It’s just more work than casual observers might realize.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.matthewstuartpiper.com
• Instagram: @matthew_stuart_piper

Image Credits
All images are mine.