We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Vincent Mattina a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Vincent thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I always loved to draw ever since I could hold a crayon in my hand. I was captivated by the worlds you could create with simply a coloring tool and a piece of paper. My earliest memory was in kindergarten where I was recognized by the whole class because I could draw the best Bat-mobile! Like most kids of my generation I wanted to be an astronaut, but my 2nd choice was an artist. I suppose that is where my fascination with science started, watching NASA rockets take off and men walking on the moon.

My appreciation of art was due to my mother, she gave me the most encouragement in my family. I had uncles and cousins that could draw and paint but none of them ever parlayed their talent into a career. My mother was a pattern maker and then clothing designer, she was the my creative influence. I think I got my independent spirit from my father, his 1st career was as a shoe maker then a bar and restaurant owner.

Vincent, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

After taking fine art and graphic design at a local junior college, I went on to Columbus College of Art and Design where I received my BFA in illustration. After graduating I moved to Southern California and started working as a graphic designer, then art director and finally creative director. While working with marketing, advertising, and branding companies I started using Photoshop as a tool to create my own vision. After receiving positive recognition in regional art shows, my wife and I decided to move to Utah where I could pursue my career as a fine artist. There I was accepted by the local art community in Salt Lake City with open arms. Locally I show at The Springville Museum of Art, Bountiful Davis Art Center, Finch Lane Gallery and I have a permanent space at Urban Arts Gallery. I also show nationally at other galleries.

My mediums include; digital, assemblage, laser engraving and mixed media. I try to create a distinct look and feel to my work that has been well received as I get comments such as, “I can always identify your work”. My biggest accomplishment both literally and figuratively has been creating a room at Dreamscapes, the interactive art space on view at the Shops at South town. It really took me out of my comfort zone working at that scale and with materials that I had never worked with before. Basically it’s an infinity room that you can see into from the outside but can’t see out from the inside. I’m actually very pleased with how it turned out. It kept me up a few nights because I wasn’t even sure if a one-way mirror was going to work.

In my artwork I probably add more detail than needed to get the point across. I’m a maximalist! For digital art I combine my own photos and stock images if needed in Photoshop. I sometimes use up to 40 layers which makes for some very big files. There is a lot of back and forth during the creative process. I have a basic idea and sometimes even a rough sketch of what I want to create. I add images, remove them, add others, change colors and edit. Then I put it away for a few days and work on something else and come back to it and rework it. This can go on for a week or more. I never do a digital piece in one setting. I have a whole folder of images that I am not happy with. I keep them for a while and if they don’t inspire me enough to share they get deleted.

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

To be honest… more than being accepted into an art show and more than selling a piece—the feedback I get from people is the most rewarding aspect of what I do. I still find it amusing to meet fans that actually follow me and my work. I get more interaction at art festivals. I suppose for the most part, you don’t get much feedback at a gallery unless it’s an opening.

Alright – so here’s a fun one. What do you think about NFTs?

I really don’t understand the value of NFTs. I understand how they work. I know how you acquire and keep them but to me I don’t see any value in something so non tangible. I’m a digital artist but I don’t see any value in my own work unless it’s printed.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.vincentmattina.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vincentmattina
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theartofvincentmattina
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/VincentMattina
• Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/VincentMattina
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