Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Erasto Curtis Matthews. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Erasto Curtis, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

I stumbled into art completely by accident. I’ve always loved art, especially abstract art, but I loved it as a way to beautify my living spaces. I had an old abstract art piece that I had purchased from Ikea many years prior and one day I decided i was going to go to the art store and buy a tube of red paint and put it on this old store bought abstract art piece to make it fit into the new color scheme of my place. I figured, it’s an abstract piece that’s just sitting in my laundry room, how bad could I mess it up? Well, I messed it up pretty bad but I kept going back to the art store to buy paint to try and fix it. In that process of trying to fix it, I discovered something unexpected. In that moment, I became an artist. I kept going back to the art store and watching videos about painting and it quickly took over my life. I became a student of YouTube University. I learned about color and shade and tone. I learned about lighting techniques and color theory and composition. I began to look at the world differently. Everything became art and I slowed down to observe it and study it. A lot of what I’ve learned about art has come from experimentation. What happens if I do this. What happens if I do that. I also learned from conversations with other artists and watching other artists work. I became a sponge. I continue to learn by working on my craft everyday.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I started painting late in life (mid 50’s) after a 36 year career as a software engineer. I never really thought about what I would do with these paintings I was creating, I just did it because it excited me to my core. It made me feel good to create. I started sharing my works on social media and the work caught the attention of my friends and family. One day a friend asked me if a piece was for sale and that was the beginning of a new chapter for me. I decided to create a website where I could show more of the work I was creating.

One day one of my nieces called to tell me that she had attended a work conference that was held in a newly emerging art space and that she had mentioned me to the curator of the space. The curator visited my website and a few weeks later, I was delivering about 10 pieces to be hung in the gallery. The whole thing was terrifying and exhilarating at the same time. While I was dropping off my pieces, I met a woman who was dropping off some art pieces as well. We talked briefly as she stared at one of my pieces. She commented that she liked my work and we exchanged information. She was the CEO of an arts organization that worked to create opportunities for artists of color. I didn’t think much of the interaction at the time but a couple of weeks later, she called me to invite me to participate in a multi-week arts festival her organization was working on. Again, I was terrified but I leaned into this new adventure and learned a lot. This was the first time I sold a piece of art to someone I didn’t know and that was huge for me as a new artist.
From there i went on to do more and more art shows and art exhibitions. I began to meet other artists and connect with galleries that were interested in carrying my work. looking back, It all happened really fast.

My artistic spirit is heavily based in vibrant color and light. I paint themes of family, culture, history and the human experience. My journey into the art world has been less a chosen path and more a destined gift from an inner current that had remained dormant in my DNA for most of my life.
In my work I’m striving to capture not merely the visual, but the ephemeral essence – the fleeting moment, the whispered emotion, the deep resonance of memory within nature and within us all.

I think what sets my work apart is its quietly loud insistence on inviting introspection; I don’t just paint a scene or a portrait or an abstraction, I invite the viewer to explore what that image means to them. My deepest pride blooms not from accolades, but from the tender moments when a viewer stands before my work and feels a genuine connection, a recognition of something within themselves, knowing that a piece has stirred a memory, evoked solace, or ignited a spark of beauty in another’s heart. I wish for potential patrons and fellow wanderers to understand that my art is a quiet rebellion against the mundane, and an invitation to pause, a testament to the enduring beauty of our world seen through a heart that believes in the magic of light, the power of color, and the profound stories held within the silence. Ultimately, my work is an open invitation to explore, to feel, and to find a piece of the soul’s own journey reflected in the depths of my works.

These days, I maintain a pretty full schedule of group art exhibitions, nonprofit fundraising events, speaking events, curating exhibitions, gallery and museum shows as well as private studio showings.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Building my audience on social media as an artist has been a gradual process. It’s required me to take advantage of every opportunity to connect with people interested in art. If I talk to someone at an art show, opening reception or festival for more than a few minutes or feel some real connection, I immediately pull out my phone and ask them if they are on social media. Connecting with other artists on social has also been a vital resource because it gives me a sense of how other artists are moving and allows me to see what opportunities are available that I didn’t know about. My advice to artists trying to build a following would be, get out of the house and talk to people. I’ve made a point to put my social media handles on my business cards (both physical and digital). Over time I’ve also noticed an organic growth of followers that appears to happen through word of mouth.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

There are so many aspects that I love about being as artist. One of the most rewarding part of being an artist for me is the ability to share my thoughts and views of the world we live. I believe that a part of the job of an artist is to document the times that we live in, to tell the stories of our ancestors and to paint a view of what we think the world should be. Much of my art is about connecting with my higher self and allowing whatever flows through that connection to spill out onto the canvas. I am often just the vessel that ideas flow through and that is exciting to me. Sometimes I look at my pieces when they are done and I think to myself. “Wow, I did that?” Being an artist has also forced me out of my comfort zone. The social aspect of art really has made me a different person, I’ve found a voice I didn’t know I could have. I’ve become so much more comfortable and confident in public speaking situations. The list of what I love about being an artist goes on and on.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ErastoArts.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erastoarts/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ErastoArts/