Welcome back to the third month (and ninth artist feature) on The Sunday Sunshine. Today I am featuring photographer Matruka Sherman. Matruka’s artwork tells stories beyond what is simply seen and captured by the camera. Her digital coloring and compositing create works that are both calm and intense.

Matruka has been involved with photography as a fine art since 1970, when she studied photography and film as an art major at Brooklyn College. She had her first one-woman exhibition at the age of 22 in New York City.  Matruka has shown in numerous settings around the East Coast, and has had several photographs published in books and magazines. Matruka also has photographs in the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.

Matruka has been actively involved in meditation since 1974, and experiences her work as a direct expression of this involvement.  She is especially interested in capturing the inner light of the subject. At times, that light may be expressed as vibrant and numinous, longing to burst forth and be revealed.  At other times, it is drawn inward - silent and still.

I am very drawn to Matruka’s artwork, and happy she agreed to share some details about her experiences as an artist.

I view art as a place of refuge and solace, to transport one out of the ordinary, to loosen the grip of the concrete structural world into one that is more fluid and spacious. With a background in psychology and metaphysics, there is a strong urge to assist the viewer in going deeper or higher. Most of all, I believe in the soothing power of beauty to heal. My photos are intended to elicit an experience that transcends ordinary reality. In that way, one remembers that everything pulsates with consciousness and, by pausing to reflect, we are reminded of our own inner beauty and purest nature. 

I asked Matruka what she values most in her artwork, and if she is ever afraid to share it. Her answer is inspiring:

I love expressing and sharing beauty or insights about the mysteries of life. Fear is not a factor in sharing. It’s like offering something delicious to someone for them to try. I make the gesture, they have the choice of accepting it or not.

Matruka has always sold her art. It was something that happened naturally for her.  She has a valuable perspective on creating and marketing for an audience:

It’s a wonderful way to get feedback, to see if what I’m trying to communicate is working. When I started Instagram-curated posts, it really gave me a great sense of what I’d been doing and where I wanted to go.  

With her healthy attitude toward creating and sharing, I wasn’t surprised to hear that Matruka grew up around other artists.

My maternal grandfather and step-grandmother were both artists, and owned a gallery and had an apartment in Manhattan. We would visit often.  I loved the smell of the paint from his studio which was in the back room of the apartment. My mother could draw beautifully, and she taught me some basics. It was a very creative household. 

Do you actively set goals for your art?

I do set goals, but it’s a balancing act. Sometimes it’s a larger one like: I wanted to have the Instagram page launched by mid-December, but the timing was more intuitive. Or, I want to create a new piece by the end of the week, but how and when that happens is more fluid.

What do you really hope for your artwork?

 My hope is for two things, to express myself (sometimes that self is with a capital S), and to bring joy, upliftment, or expansion to others.

Matruka recently had two pieces accepted to the Lawrence Street Gallery in Ferndale, Michigan, for thier exhibition Exposure’s Photography ‘21, April 1 - 30th, 2021.

You can also find her work at the Gutman Gallery ‘Anything Goes’ exhibition in Ann Arbor, Michigan through May 1st, 2021.

Matruka did start sharing her photography on her Instagram this past December. I encourage you to visit and follow her there.

Matruka dropped off a goodie bag with blank note cards to offer as a giveaway!
If you would like the opportunity to recieve these cards and a little some thing from me, comment below and subscribe.
(This giveaway has ended, but take a look at my event to see current giveaways)

I hope that you’ve been inspired by Matruka, and that you’ll continue to join me as I continue to learn from more artists on The Sunday Sunshine series in the Artist's Journal. You can also find the dates for current & upcoming giveaways, poossible pop-up sales & exhibitions, and upcoming guest blogs by clicking on EVENTS.

Tia Sunshine

If we haven’t met, you can read more about me in my journal HERE and HERE, or visit my Welcome/About with the button below.

This series is inspired by the Artists Sunday campaign that started last year. While I am not a huge fan of specific shopping days, I am a fan of encouraging individuals to buy from artists. This series is my way of participating in the spirit of the movement. www.artistssunday.com

Artists Sunday is "a nationwide art-shopping movement with more than 4,300 members. Participants include 500+ local communities, including arts agencies, cities, counties, state agencies, chambers of commerce, and organizations and 3,800+ individual artists." Their mission is "to encourage consumers to shop with their favorite local artists and craftsmen during the holiday season. Artists Sunday takes place the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Think of it like Black Friday or Small Business Saturday but for the arts. New members are joining daily."

Upcoming features in The Sunday Sunshine include painter, Jennifer J.K. Bleeg and wood block artist, Dennis Gordon.

Don’t forget to leave a comment for Matruka!