About Me

Andrea Mathis

... produces a diverse body of work including paintings, jewelry, sculpture capturing the emotion and power of objects through abstracting the natural world.  She received early encouragement to express herself and study art. She came from a family where art and education were important and she was fortunate to attend Stephen F. Austin State University.   Fostering her passion for art began with her father Robert Ezell, an accomplished artist, teacher, and director with a Masters in Fine Art from North Texas State University.  

Born in 1964 and raised near Houston, Texas; Andrea's dedication to making art has been life long.  Early recognition and support for her work led to studies at the Glassell school of Art and a seventeen year career in advertising, retail, and art.  In 2004 she quit her day job to pursue the dream of painting seriously. Mathis has a full career in the arts and an understanding of how important the arts are in developing the whole person. She has served as a board member at The Arts for Rural Texas dedicated to bringing art education and cultural opportunities to children and communities in South Central Texas.

Inspiration

Andrea incorporates a variety of techniques used by artists and she was especially influenced by the modern masters and impressionists evident by her painterly brush strokes. Inspired by road trips across the south western plains, and european trips to Italy and France, she developed her interest in architechture and landscape.  The influence of the landscape and wildlife was undeniable.  Several years later Andrea began a new adventure and moved to her working ranch in La Grange,Texas where she built a modest home and paints surrounded by animals and the Colorado River.  She started working there full time in 2010 and the focus of her work began to turn inward.  She was inspired by the rolling hills, trees, the wildlife and the people she holds close.  Her love of color and contemporary art led to a new body of mostly abstract paintings made using heavy textured oils and horse hair brushes.

 

Acknowledgements 

Known for her painterly artworks, she recently received the Merit Award for her painting The Event at the International Burridge Table Settings Juried Competition.

Selected as the featured poster artist at Arts for Rural Texas ArtWalk 2021. the Electric Horse painting depicts the power and expressive energy that reflects everyone’s mood after a year of isolation.

First place winner of Chappell Hill Art Walk Memorial Day 2021.