2018

Artist Bio – Philippe Mathieu 

Philippe Mathieu is a fine artist living in Ojai, California, known for his luminous oil paintings inspired by the interplay of light, color, and nature. His landscapes and seascapes capture the beauty of Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Ojai  with a distinctive, atmospheric touch. Born in Orléans, France, he immigrated to Santa Barbara at the age of six. His artistic path began at sixteen after encountering a Monet painting at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art—an experience that sparked a lifelong fascination with the French Impressionists of the 1880s.

 

 Drawn to the breathtaking beauty of the California coast, Philippe began studying oil painting in earnest in his early twenties. Although he had always drawn and painted as a child, the discovery of oil paint proved transformative. He immersed himself in self-directed study, devouring stacks of library books and experimenting daily. Eye of the Artist by Jack Clifton became a foundational influence, grounding him in artistic fundamentals and strengthening his technical approach.

 

In addition to oil painting, Philippe explored creative expression through building sand sculptures—an unexpected medium that deepened his sense of joy and spontaneity in the artistic process. Throughout the 1980s, he balanced his growing art career with work as a carpenter, always maintaining a studio space and steadily refining his craft. His philosophy remains rooted in attentive observation: the shifting interplay of light and color across natural landscapes, and the rewards that come from years of dedicated practice.

 

 Philippe sold his early work through the Sunday Santa Barbara Arts & Crafts Show and exhibited at numerous art festivals, art centers, and galleries throughout the 1990s, attracting both collectors and interior designers. After marrying in 2000, he moved from Santa Barbara to Ojai to begin a family. In 2007, he expanded his reach by selling greeting cards and prints throughout Santa Barbara. In 2012, he designed and built a home in Ojai that includes his personal studio and gallery, where he continues to create and share his work.

 

 Today, Philippe Mathieu’s art reflects a lifelong devotion to capturing the poetic dialogue between light, landscape, and human experience—an ever-evolving testament to his passion for the natural world and the places we love to be.