MATT STERBENZ

Chandler, Arizona

Matt Sterbenz was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona. He received a bachelor’s degree in fine art from Arizona State University. Matt is the former president of Arizona Plein Air Painters and has participated in some of the nation’s top plein air invitational events, including the Sedona Plein Air Festival and the Pacific Northwest Plein Air Event, and he was an invited member of the teaching faculty at the 2016 Plein Air Convention and Expo in Tucson, Arizona. He was the recipient of the People’s Choice Award at the 2020 Grand Canyon Celebration of Art, and his work has appeared in numerous publications, including Plein Air Magazine and Southwest Art Magazine.

The sun’s first rays stream across the Grand Canyon at Moran Point. The light transforms the iconic buttes and temples into islands as they appear to float in a shadowy sea of deep blue. Far below, a sliver of the Colorado River reflects the sky above.

Cobalt Depths | 24x36, oil