Born in Brooklyn, New York, Richard Matson attended The Cooper Union Art School in New York City, followed by graduate studies at Yale University’s School of Art in New Haven, Connecticut, where he trained under such 20th century masters as Joseph Albers and Neil Welliver. Matson went on to work in advertising, eventually settling in Key West, Florida, where he lives and works as a painter.
“I came to Key West in 1975, and it was literally love at first sight. Where painting had been an avocation, here is became my vocation.
I think that there is no more beautiful time of day than dusk. Here in the subtropics, the light and color are more than magical. Someone once asked me if, after twenty-nine years, I hadn’t run out of subjects to paint. I had to smile. As long as I have eyes, there can never be a dearth of subject matter. That’s what it’s all about, Seeing. And trying to get others to see what I find so exquisite.”
