Matt aka MattMcart

Thanks again for your time, mate! 

You've really started capturing the minds of a few people in Australia and across the globe with your artwork! It's been great to watch some of it unfold!

Let's jump into it!

Faz: It started in 2014 as purely a 'hobby'; what was your first official sketch back then? I (This is nearly a decade ago!)

Matt: Thanks for having me, mate. Yeah, just a hobby back then. I started drawing in 2014, which was my final year of uni, a lot more free time back then, and I think I just wanted a hobby to fill it with.

Faz: Its obvious you love your sports, NBA and AFL (my 2 favourites as well, haha). What teams do you follow in the AFL and NBA? And do you collect trading cards from your favourite teams, etc.? (so many drawings; its not so obvious who you follow, haha.)

Matt: Yeah, I'm a massive sports fan; I'll just about watch anything sports-related on TV, with the AFL and NBA being the two favourites as you mentioned. I'm an Essendon fan and a Boston fan; sadly, the Bombers have had a rough 20 years or so, but hopefully the good times aren't too far away. I actually don't collect trading cards at all, to be honest; I just draw them. Having said that, I do have one NBA card in my possession, a Kobe Bryant rookie worth around $300/$400, I believe.

Faz: I'm a HUGE Pies supporter, so you've got a few pieces that I really love - the Dane Swan Anzac Day picture and, more recently, the Scott Pendlebury piece from this year's GF win—but do you have a piece that maybe stands out from the rest on a personal level? 

Matt: I've actually had the "favourite drawing" question a few times and everytime I've answered either my A3 MJ, or A3 Dusty in the colour. But on a personal level, it would have to be a drawing I did of my Mum, Dad and I from a photo when I was one year old. Dad passed away at the end of 2020, and mum has the original drawing at her house, so it means a fair bit. I think I drew it back in 2016, it's not even close to my best drawing skill wise, it's pretty ordinary actually, but it's definitely a special one.

Faz: The Steele Sidebottom card—unbelievable seeing that sketch card be personally signed by him and then the video post of him that followed -  how did that all come about: 1. making sketch cards and 2. connecting with Steele for that magic moment?

Matt:  That was one of my favourite moments to date art wise! I was actually really lucky and super grateful for the way that came about. My friend who was in the same year as me at highschool actually works at Collingwood as the head of digital, and he does a lot with their social media. He messaged me on instagram one day asking if I'd be keen to do a drawing of Steele for his 300th game, which they would use for a game day post. Obviously I jumped at the idea and got to work. I posted it up to him to take some good photos of it etc. for their instagram post, and he surprised me by getting it signed and obviously sending the personal video messages too which was amazing. Shout out to Winz at the pies for that one!

Faz: It's fantastic to see you do things with your talent; people can buy pieces from you and your website. We've seen you progress your sketches into cards, etc, do you have any more expansion ideas or projects in the pipeline?

Matt: Thank you! Yeah, drawing the cards has been great. When I first started drawing them, I think what got me hooked was how quickly I could finish them (with markers instead of just pencil, and them being so small). The card collecting community has been so good to me as well in terms of commissions and buying my work, which has made the transition to cards fantastic. In terms of future plans, I have a few ideas but nothing set in stone. I'd LOVE to try my hand at painting properly one day, possibly even have a go at some smaller sized murals one day too, who knows. But for now the cards and Pendles piece are keeping me very busy.

Thanks again for your time, Matt!

Looking forward to seeing more of your work in the future! 

Check out Matt's work on his IG here!

https://www.instagram.com/mattmcart/

Check out Matt's art pieces for sale here!