They say if you can make a living doing the thing you love then you will never have to work another day in your life. This is certainly true for Matt Buckett who has taken residency of a unit in the Duchy Square Centre for Creativity in Princetown, with the intention of both teaching art classes and using the space to create artwork of his own. Nichola went to meet Matt in his new studio to find out more about his art and this great opportunity to have a fun day out whilst improving your artistic skills.
Matt grew up on a farm near Looe before taking a Foundation course in Falmouth which led to a Degree in Fine Art from Southampton. He was drawn back to Falmouth to play drums in local band, “Pelt” whilst continuing to exhibit his work and take commissions to produce bespoke pieces. He was very fortunate to have a loyal, supportive patron who, over a ten-year period, commissioned more than 100 pieces of individual artwork for his estate house near St Mellion, including original textile paintings in oils for cushions, curtains and door panels as well as large canvas wall hangings and traditional pictures throughout the house.
Matt enjoys the process of creativity and will turn his hand to most styles of art, although his passion has always been for oil on canvas. More recently he has developed a love for pen and ink, which he used to great effect when illustrating his first graphic novel, “The Weapon” in 2015. Over the years Matt's interest in story-telling has grown to encompass film, theatre, comics and novels, so the combination of a deep-seated love of story craft and his skills as an artist led him to the graphic novel format. He became a master of social media through the crowdfunding site “Kickstarter” enabling him to self-publish and promote the novel with great success. It took 3 years to write and 18 months to illustrate during evenings and weekends, whilst holding down a day job at the same time. Taking inspiration from the ink splat design that adorns his graphic novel he has replicated this in his logo and named his company “Ink Pot Graphics”.
After the success of his graphic novel Matt decided to take up a second Kickstarter promotion with one week’s worth of publicity to sell his original quick watercolour and ink sketches for just £10. In an attempt to test the market and get his name out there he was surprised and excited to have 81 backers after seven days’ funding who commissioned over 100 landscapes, animals or superhero characters.
Matt also exhibits his artwork in Tavistock, and has exhibited in The Barbican Gallery, Plymouth Arts Centre, Plymouth College of Art, and The Plumb Line Gallery in St. Ives. He continues to sell his book through his website, on Amazon and at ComicCon shows – conventions for film, TV, books and comics, signing copies of his graphic novel and doing character sketches for fans. Busy writing both a prequel and a sequel, he is planning to use “Kickstarter” once more for help with self-publishing.
Early in 2017 Matt decided the time was right to make his art a full-time job and took the lease in the Duchy Square Centre which is now full of creative businesses. He is really pleased with his new spacious studio and has furnished it with a wide range of equipment that will cater for most artistic requirements from oils, acrylics and inks to watercolours and charcoal. Matt has the skills to teach all abilities and styles and is able to be flexible with his courses, tailoring the programme to individual or group needs. He welcomes course suggestions from those interested in expanding their knowledge, revisiting lost skills or maybe those who just need a practical space to carry out their own artwork. He has already hosted a number of parties, classes and events, and hopes to continue to offer fun, educational and inspiring lessons in a stimulating, purpose-built environment.
Matt is available for commissions, particularly contemporary portraits and pet portraits whilst also branching out into teaching. So if you’re looking for a piece of original artwork, or for something a little different to keep the children busy over the summer holidays, an unusual gift for a special friend, or perhaps a comfortable place to expand your own creativity, then Princetown might be the place for you.
Nichola Williams
For more information please contact Matt: 01822 890592 / matt@ink-pot-graphics.com / INSTAGRAM: mjbuckett / TWITTER: @MattBuckettInfo
Regular Art Classes - IPG Studio in Princetown
ADULTS: Thursdays 09:00 -12:00 - £20
KIDS: Saturdays 10:00 -12:00 - £15
To book a space email: matt@ink-pot-graphics.com