Matt Walton wants to be an artist.
And with a painting already hanging on the wall at the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa, the 18-year-old Pasadena teen is well on his way to fulfilling that dream.
Walton, 18, is one of 15 finalists in the gallery’s 2014 So You Want To Be An Artist contest.
He earned his way into the final for his “Manmade” painting by garnering 363 votes in the first round of the competition.
His artwork was one of 12 voted into the final. Three other finalists from among the entries were selected by an art expert to also move forward.
All 15 pieces, which were created by young people between the ages of 16 and 19, will be on display at the National Gallery until Sept. 1. A jury of experts will visit the gallery and select the top three winners. They’ll be announced on Aug. 13.
Walton came to Pasadena from England six years ago. He’s been drawing ever since he could hold a pencil and some of his earliest artworks were created on an Etch-a-Sketch.
Outside of some evening art courses and classes at school he just practices his skill at home.
He learned of the contest through Facebook.
“I thought it was just worth looking at, and it definitely was,” he said.
“Manmade” is an acrylic portrait of a woman. But it’s different from a traditional portrait as the woman looks like a robot with colourful geometric shapes forming her face.
“I really am interested in art where it can be something ordinary, but different, like you can’t see every day.” Walton said. 'Cause I think that’s one of the cool things about art, you can do whatever you think of.”
His inspiration for the painting came from a Canadian economy course where the class discussed feminism and how some women in the media can be criticized for things men aren’t.
“They’re under a lot more scrutiny,” he said.
“So the woman in the picture, she’s a human, but trying not to be human. It’s like she’s wearing a mask and she’s become hard.”
To get through the first round of the contest Walton did a lot of work to drum up votes. He posted it on social media and put up posters around town. Friends and family also helped by spreading the word.
Walton recognizes that this round has little to do with his artwork or ability.
“It’s not really up to the skill,”he said. “It’s up to how well you can promote your art.”
But he said that’s a big part of being an artist.
“The competition is called So You Want To Be An Artist and I think they do it so that the first stage is well if you want to be an artist you’ve got to promote yourself,” he said.
The final round, however, will be all about skill.
“It’s up to them now,” he said of the panel of experts. “It’s out of my hands. So I’ve just got to wait and see what comes out of it.”
Win or lose though he’s pleased with how far he’s gotten.
“I’m already happy because it’s up in the National Gallery,” Walson said proudly. “So that’s more than I could ask for anyway. That’s a really good prize in itself.”
Walton is spending his summer working at Humber Valley Resort in maintenance and gardening. Come September the recent Pasadena Academy graduate is headed to Halifax.
He plans to take a year off from studying, get a job and work on the portfolio he’ll need to apply to the animation program at Sheridan College in Oakville, Ont.
His interest in animation also stems from his childhood. He once owned a stop motion camera and would spend hours taking animation videos with it even using little toys to make up stories.
The portfolio is the major factor in the entrance process.
“So I’ve got my work set out for me this year,” Walton said.
