Matthew Waryga

I gained an appreciation of art from a young age; taken to galleries by my mother and looking upon works of art in my home by my grandmother and her artist friends. I can still remember the smell of her oil paints and the nostalgic feelings they evoke when painting myself. I began early on with after school art lessons and continued my traditional art throughout high school; however, while attending the Art Institute of Philadelphia, I decided to pursue a career in the digital arts. After my decade-long career in commercial arts, I felt it was time for a change and picked up a paint brush once again. I moved from Philadelphia to the Delaware Beaches where the seascapes and sunrises moved me and remain the inspiration for my painting. There is so much natural beauty around us, and I believe this is a true masterpiece of creation. This appreciation has deepened my understanding of the natural world, which has, in turn, enhanced my ability to capture a sense of Realism in my oil paintings. I grew fond of studying natural phenomena. How a photon of light travels from the Sun warming the Earth’s atmosphere, creating a gust of wind which drives the ocean’s waves to crash upon the shore. Sitting on the beaches of Southern Delaware in contemplative bliss remains seminal to my artwork. I enjoy painting beaches in Delaware and from my travels abroad. My belief is that God is the real artist, I am merely trying to copy what was already created.