James Mattison: Finding Maine Again Through Color and Landscape

After graduating from Stetson University with a degree in digital art and marketing, James Mattison moved to Oregon—to the other Portland—to launch his graphic design career. But when the pandemic hit, he moved home. That’s when inspiration struck.

“I had to leave Maine to fall back in love with it,” Mattison said.

He began painting landscapes, searching for scenes that reflected the many sides of the state. Today, the Portland-based painter is showing his work at Notch8 Gallery through December 12 and has recently had pieces displayed at the Thomas Memorial Library in Cape Elizabeth. Two months ago, Mattison was picked up by the Portland Art Gallery, where he will have his debut show in February.

Sean Thomas, manager of the Portland Art Gallery, said Mattison’s work has a distinct presence. “His name’s been floating around Portland,” Thomas said. Mattison’s paintings use bold color and sometimes venture into what Thomas describes as nearly alien landscapes. “It’s very Maine and yet not,” he added.

Early Creativity and Design Roots

Mattison has always been creative, drawing and painting as a child. He said creativity runs in his blood. Growing up, his parents operated a sign business out of the family garage—his mother designed banners and flags, while his father worked directly with clients. In high school, Mattison helped his father with installations.

“Without any push from either parent, I fell into graphic design and marketing pretty naturally,” he said.

All About Color

Mattison carefully balanced a cup of coffee on the roof of his car as he lifted a painted wood panel from the trunk.

“It’s still a little wet,” he said.

The painting depicted a pile of lumber—rosy circles stacked beneath a gray sky—a scene he encountered on an old logging road during a recent trip to the Allagash. He knew immediately he needed to paint it.

The work is subdued by his standards, though he couldn’t resist warm pink and orange hues.

Inside his fifth-floor studio, tucked away from the rush of Congress Street, a wall bursts with color: a soft orange basketball hoop surrounded by bright blue; a woman draped in red, encircled by floating orange orbs; a marsh scene rendered in vivid green.

“I do love color,” Mattison said. “You kind of have to as a graphic designer and painter.” Though he’s challenging himself to use more realistic palettes, he admits experimentation still wins out.

“That said, I also just painted a guy who is blue with a pink background,” he said.

Mentorship at the George Anderson Gallery

After returning from Oregon and searching for work, Mattison wandered into the George Anderson Gallery, then located on Fore Street. There, he struck up a conversation with gallery founder George Anderson, then 84. The two spoke for hours, and Mattison shared images of his work.

“I don’t just hire anybody,” Anderson recalled saying. But Mattison showed promise, particularly in his creative use of color and space.

“He does a beautiful job with nature and trees,” Anderson said.

The two artists—separated by generations—worked together, and Mattison grew under Anderson’s guidance. Though Anderson later moved to Rockport, Massachusetts, the pair have remained in touch.

“As he gets older, his work will improve,” Anderson said.

An Artistic Urge

Mattison begins each painting by sketching with charcoal on a wood panel, then layering acrylic paint to establish undertones before finishing with oil.

He describes painting as a necessity rather than a hobby and has continued his practice while working full-time as a graphic designer for Hannaford.

“If I don’t paint for a while, I feel a buildup of tension,” he said. “Sometimes that means staring at a blank canvas until I figure out what I need to do.”

In his studio, Mattison pulled out a painting of a man in a rowboat on a stormy sea—an homage to Winslow Homer, whose work has deeply influenced him. Nearly a decade ago, Mattison worked as a security guard at the Portland Museum of Art, where he watched over Homer’s paintings during a special exhibition.

“It was nerve-wracking,” he said, given the value of the work. “But I got to take in every paint stroke on every piece.”