Matt Rinard

Matt Rinard Biography

Matt Rinard, born October 24, 1964, was dropped by his grandmother twice when he was a year old. To avoid any further brain damage, his family moved every three years. By age thirteen, he had lived in six states. His father, an overbearing Admiral in the Navy, urged Matt not to go into art but ‘’to get a real job’’. Nevertheless Matt attended N.O.C.C.A. (New Orleans Center for Creative Arts) and later graduated from Florida State University with a degree in graphic design. He tried desperately to find a job but everyone knew he had been dropped on his head as an infant and was damaged goods. Finally in 1988, after a brief stint as a high school teacher, Matt launched Spilled Inc., an art publishing enterprise. The business still adheres to Matt’s time worn philosophy:

‘’If my parents like it, it won’t sell’’

Even today Matt gets input from his parents and torches anything they like. Constant sources of inspiration are his two four-legged children and his beautiful wife Cam. Matt is the official artist for the Krewe of Barkus. He was commissioned by designer David Dart to create an exclusive clothing line for Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Bloomingdale’s. He has a greeting card line that is available in stores throughout North America. He was selected by the Gronou Jazz Festival in Germany to be their official artist.

Matt is slowly trying to expand his global empire. Japan, England, Australia, Canada, Germany, France and the United States are currently the only countries in the world where you can buy this well produced, witty art. Currently Matt is talking to an engineer at NASA about putting humor in space. Although the gravity of the humor won’t be the same.

The artist was commissioned by the Navy League to paint the USS New Orleans, a 3.1 billion dollar amphibious combatant that was built in south Louisiana.

Medium: Matt works primarily in gouache, an opaque watercolor. This is painted on 300lb archival Arches hot press watercolor paper. His serigraphs use the finest ultraviolet ink, which is extremely durable and provides a lifetime of enjoyment without fading or discoloring. The lithographs are done on an 1810 Voirin French press that also provides highly pigmented inks that will resist fading and preserve the integrity of the print for more than a lifetime. These two processes are the most elaborate, costly and effective way to reproduce art while maintaining the brilliance and accuracy of the original creation.