Feature #109: Matthew Horton, Freelance Artist...

Name: Matthew Horton

Current Job Position Title: Freelance Artist and Art Model

Company Name: Nacktsoul

Contact Information: mnhorton84@yahoo.com

Special skills:

Well-versed in the Adobe Suite including Photoshop, Illustrator, Premier Pro, and Flash

What did you want to be when you were a child/ teenager?

A myriad of things, really. I had typical taste that consisted of astronaut, firefighter, and such, however, the one constant has been art. Ever since I was cognizant enough to put pencil to paper I've always had drawing as both my outlet and my passion. It wasn't until middle school that I decided to pursue my art more aggressively by joining the school art club. Fast-forward to Benjamin E. Mays High School and I would naturally join up with the art club there as sanctioned by Theresa DuBoise who served as both a friend and mentor. I owe a great deal of my success to her devotion and on-hands approach.

After Mays I attended the Art Institute of Atlanta Dunwoody campus where I would earn my B.A. in Media Arts Animation, though, that's where things become rather...rocky. This was a time when the economy went sour and a lot of jobs dried up and so I spent a lot of time working jobs outside of my career field including warehousing, call-centers, and even groundskeeping recently. After I was laid off from my last job that's when I realized that I was tired of working for other people. So, I woke up one morning and one a whim I met up with a field who had said that she recently took up art modeling and so i inquired about it, she gave me a name, and from there things begin falling into place. Now I'm becoming the art as well as networking with artist who are also in the business itself.

Are doing your dream job?

I'm about half way there. I eventually want to open up a spa/ visual arts studio with some friends of mine. Despite the slow start I most definitely feel that I am where I am suppose to be.

What do you like MOST about what you do? What do you like the LEAST?

I love seeing the art come to life whether I'm producing it or being the subject of the session I love the confidence that comes with this field.

As far as what I like least...Me as a critic because I am extremely hard on myself.

Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?

 I see myself continuing to model, help out other models and working in a studio on the next big animation project.

Are you happy with where you are in life?

I'm getting there. I am my own worst critic and feel that I can always do better and become better in every facet of my person be it physically, spiritually, and mentally.

What more do you want to do with your life?

 I want stability. I want to be able to just take a trip out of town, out of the country, and be able to come back and still be financially stable.

What drives/motivates you?

My passion and my results. I love knowing that I am making a difference. From the art that I myself produce to the even becoming the art when I am modeling I love seeing the art come to fruition over time. Some might say that I am into instant-gratification, however, I beg to differ and insist that that's nature of the art field given how stimulating that it can be to the senses. In this case it's the visual arts.

What else do you do?

Aside from my art I am an avid comicbook fan and love cosplaying and attending conventions!

What is your advice to those who are seeking employment and have no hope?

Never give up. Simple as that. As cliche' as it may sound, you have to pick yourself up after a failure, evaluate what went wrong exactly, and take proper measures to correct your errors. There are indeed lessons in failure after all.