OklahomaHorses Magazine Nov/Dec 2020

18 OklahomaHorses • November/December 2020 EQU I NE ART I S T S O klahoma artist Matt Josef doesn’t claim to be a cowboy, but he has two horses that he says are like big dogs. His current art studio is a barn on some land in his hometown of Purcell. Upon meeting Matt, you quickly start to realize how down to earth he is and ready to reconnect with his Oklahoma roots. As a self-taught artist, his career of selling what he created started early on as a kid. His curiosity for adventure drove him to live in Colorado, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington and Arizona over the past 20 years of his career as an artist. After extensive travel and escapades in the art world, he decided to head back to Oklahoma and reconnect with his childhood hometown. When I first saw Matt’s paintings on exhibit, I immediately thought of a sundry of well- known art styles, such as Andy Warhol and Jackson Pollock. His graphic Western iconic imagery intermixed with colorful abstract backgrounds fills the large-scale canvases, each taking on a mood of their own. In the following Q&A, Matt shares all about his artistic journey. Q. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CHILDHOOD MEMORY OF CREATING ART?  A. I don’t think I can recall the first; it’s just always been a part of my life. My family has always been amazing at facilitating the space and supplies all through my childhood. Q. WHO PURCHASED YOUR FIRST PIECE OF ARTWORK? A. I remember making things in paper mâché and painting on them throughout the years. My mom was wearing a pair of earrings I made at 4 years of age while on a cruise ship and had a lady buy them off her for $150. I’ve been making jewelry and art and selling ever since then. What I wouldn’t pay to find out who it was on that cruise ship that bought those earrings off my mom! The Adventurer Comes Home THE ART OF MATT JOSEF WRITTEN BY: Jennifer Hustis Matt Josef