About Me

Nice to meet you

My name is Matt Guise, and I am a professional freelance illustrator and artist based in southeast Iowa in the small rural town of Packwood. I specialize in fun, whimsical illustrations with a focus on caricature, cartooning, fantasy, and expressive character work. While much of my work leans toward stylized and humorous imagery, I am formally trained in a wide range of illustrative techniques and can also create realistic portraiture, landscapes, and fine art pieces.

Illustrations

I work in both traditional and digital mediums, including acrylic, ink, graphite, and digital illustration. My experience ranges from small-scale commissions on paper or canvas to large-scale mural work for buildings and public spaces.

My work is often recognized for its confident line work, bold use of value, and strong contrast through color and texture. Whether creating a humorous caricature, a mural, or a fantasy illustration, I strive to create artwork that is engaging, expressive, and memorable.

My artistic influences come from sequential art such as comics and graphic novels, animation, satirical illustration, and classic caricature art. I enjoy creating artwork that celebrates people, stories, and imagination through humor, personality, and bold visual storytelling. Much of my commissioned work includes live caricature entertainment, personalized illustrations, fantasy characters, superheroes, and imaginative environments.

If you are interested in commissioning artwork or collaborating on a project, please feel free to contact me at mathewguise@gmail.com or by phone at 641-233-8725.

Experiance

With over thirty years of artistic experience, I currently teach Visual Arts for grades five through twelve in the Pekin Community School District. I also serve on the board of the Fairfield Arts Association, where I teach the Young Artists Class at the Fairfield Arts & Convention Center, helping young creatives develop their artistic confidence and skills.

I earned my Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with an emphasis in Illustration from Iowa State University. I furthered my studies at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale and the Illinois Institute of Art before receiving my Iowa teaching certification through Buena Vista University.

Before entering education full-time, I spent nearly a decade working for Trader Joe’s in the Chicago area, where I designed murals, hand-lettered displays, and promotional artwork. I also contributed to the visual design and preparation of the West Des Moines Trader Joe’s location before its grand opening.

If you are interested in commissioning artwork or collaborating on a project, please feel free to contact me at mathewguise@gmail.com or by phone at 641-233-8725.

Currently

I am serving as the lead design illustrator for Fairfield Youth Performing Arts’ production of Xanadu. Recently, I collaborated with a comic book writer on a project that was published in the inaugural issue of Lesser Known Zine. As a yearbook advisor, I lead a team of student designers, photographers, and journalists as we collaborate each year to create and publish the school yearbook.

Outside of art, I am a husband and father of four children who have either graduated from or are quickly approaching high school graduation. I also share my home with a very cool yellow lab named Otis.

If you are interested in commissioning artwork or collaborating on a project, please feel free to contact me at mathewguise@gmail.com or by phone at 641-233-8725.