Hello, Camp Illustrated!

A preview of our newest series, Camp Illustrated.

We’re stoked to welcome Matt as the newest member of Camp Trend and once a week we’ll be featuring one of his camp illustrations. Before we kick off the series, we wanted to find out more about the idea so we threw some questions his way – 


How did you come up with the idea for Camp Illustrated?

Somewhere in the middle of a 15 hour drive from Sante Fe, NM to Death Valley, CA the idea popped into my head. The thought of reposting peoples camp related photos as quick illustrations seemed like a rad way to spread stoke and good camp vibes. On the long drive I brainstormed different names for the project and during a big traffic jam in Arizona I made the Instagram account. A week or so later I pulled out the art supplies and started drawing. 

Where did your passion for camping and exploring come from?

A bunch of different things shaped me into loving the outdoors – summer camps, backpacking trips, like minded friends. I grew up in a state without much wilderness so by the time I was in college my buddies and I would take every chance we could to head up to the Rocky Mountains and camp/backpack/climb etc…

Matt-photo1

Matt taking a break during a climbing trip

How long have you been creating art?

An early memory I have is being at the neighbors house when I was maybe five years old and we were watching Muppet Treasure Island. The neighbor kids were sitting on the floor as close to the TV as possible and I was sitting at the back of the room at a Little Tikes table trying to draw the characters I saw on the movie. 

Do you have a favorite medium to work with?

I do a lot of ink and wash work – that’s what I am most comfortable with. With Camp Illustrated I am trying to get practice using other mediums , and color! 

Favorite camp spot?

This summer I did some dispersed camping out of my car somewhere near Silverton, Colorado. It was a rad spot next to a river and I would ride my mountain bike down nearby dirt roads in search of firewood – couldn’t have been better. 

What else fills your time when you’re not working on these art pieces?

I have been cruising around on my skateboard a lot lately enjoying California weather, hanging out with my girlfriend, and getting stoked about exploring Northern California in the upcoming months! 


That does it for our interview with Matt, stay tuned for the launch of Camp Illustrated and check out his instagram page for more camp art.

Also, use the comment section below to send Matt some props and let us know what you think of Camp Illustrated.