Matthew Sarmiento, Palm Springs
Member Since March 2014
Artist Statement Matthew Sarmiento is a contemporary painter currently residing in Palm Springs, California. He was born in Bremerton, Washington, and raised in San Diego, California. After completing his college education at the University of Southern California, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science with a Minor in Fine Art and an MBA in Marketing, he settled down in West Covina, California.
For the past 24 years, he worked as a Financial Publisher in Communications at TCW, an investment management firm in Los Angeles, where he was responsible for producing their marketing materials. Matthew’s early works are mostly drawings of famous faces done with white charcoal pencil on black paper, which have garnered Best in Show awards at the Los Angeles County Fair.
With a lot more time at home during the pandemic years and after moving to Palm Springs, Matthew took a leap from his usual approach of drawing grayscale portraits to painting them in oils and working in color. This marked a pivotal turning point in his artistic journey. As his creativity began to flourish, he could no longer ignore his deep-rooted passion for artmaking and bid farewell to his corporate job, wholeheartedly devoting himself to his newfound calling.
Currently, Matthew is completing his studies in realistic oil painting in the Evolve art program and will soon be opening his own art academy in Palm Springs this Fall. This art school will cater to both youth and adult beginners, as well as experienced artists who wish to further develop their skills and understanding of core principles. Find out more at www.artacademypalmsprings.com. Matthew believes an artist never stops learning and improving.
Being young-at-heart and a fun-loving individual, Matthew enjoys escape rooms, playing mobile and board games, and collecting vintage toys. In his latest artworks, he drew inspiration from timeless toys and games, seeking to evoke a sense of nostalgia and transport viewers, particularly his peers, back to cherished childhood memories.
As Matthew looks toward the future, he envisions his artwork evolving further, transitioning from pure portraiture to depictions of more idealized figures and other classic toys and games. He aims to create compositions that illustrate surrealistic fantasies and whimsical narratives with a touch of mid-century modern flair and vibrant color palette.
Matthew's recent works have been juried into and sold at the Desert Art Center gallery in Palm Springs and the Artists Council Galen gallery in Palm Desert, California.
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