Insights from a Master

Visiting the Faculty Art show in Mt. Hood’s Visual Arts Gallery in November that hosted beautiful works from our own art professors was such an amazing sight to see.

Observing all the breathtaking pieces was so inspiring, but what caught my eye was one particular professor’s work. The whole wall was filled with wild paintings of different shapes, sizes, and colors.

Such stunning work was done by a teacher that I remember fondly taking painting classes with: the one and only Matteo Neivert. 

 Born and raised in New Orleans, Neivert is a masterclass artist, who takes the beauty of nature and blends it with the beauty marks of mankind. You may have noticed that he has taken a fancy to owls when viewing his work. He passionately exclaimed during my interview with him that owls have brought wisdom to many cultures for centuries, and they bring a fun challenge to paint. They are bold and powerful, yet sly and subtle in how they operate, he explained.

As for his painting “Memento Morí de las Cuatro Estaciones,” Neivert talked about how he wanted the baby snow owl to seem ahead of his time. The owl stares at you, the viewer, with this almost disinterested look, as if he’s trying to seem more mature than he actually is.

Another painting he displayed was called “Protection Owl,” where a large mother owl glares at the viewer, while her perky offspring sprout about the canvas. Neivert said that this was based on how owls embody the parental spirit and will protect their loved ones at any cost.

 Growing up, the artist never had a strong connection with his parents. They were always there in his life, but they never offered the proper compassion he needed, he said. However, painting allowed him to heal such wounds and has always been there to support him whenever he needed comfort.

Our interview dived into Neivert’s creative process and many inspirations for his pieces.

He said he is someone who goes with the flow, and allows the paint to make decisions for him. When describing his process for crafting the snow owl, he said, “I just literally squirted a bunch of paint on my canvas and took a giant brush and just like, brushed it around… Because sometimes the best thing is called a happy accident, where it just happens.”

He talked about not being set for a specific vision for his paintings. He slowly whittles down the canvas, like a sculpture, to see what forms out of it.

Neivert also went into great detail talking about the many painters that have influenced his works. The artist William Morris, a textile and fabric designer, was referenced in the beautiful teal background for “Protection Owl.” He noted the impact of the Italian and Puerto Rican painters Giuseppe Arcimboldo and Arnaldo Roche, who created abstract portraits out of fruits, vegetables, and branches, along with inspirations from his life in New Orleans with the colorful delight of Madi Gras, along with beautiful feather suits from Native Americans and other cultures.

Neivert said these all influenced his delectable painting of “Feather Person,”  in which a cheeky face is formed by a multitude of intricate brush strokes and feathery patterns. He said that this painting was still wet from being worked on when put in the Arts Gallery show.

When viewed in full, Nievert is a person who pursues the joys of nature and everything that life brings. Whether it is mundane, subtle, or audacious, he takes in every moment. He said he hopes that people can see the beauty they are in, and don’t deny the joys that make them happy. Life can get hard, and things will seem difficult and intense at times, but if you take a moment to slow down, allow yourself to breathe, and make the effort to ask for help, life will get better.

It was such a joy to talk such a dedicated and masterful artist, and I hope I’ve inspired you to take his MHCC painting class now. It’s truly a delight.

Cortlan Souders