Front cover artist
Good coffee in hand, comfy chair, then we’ll begin! I’m sitting with Matt and Lynsey Cockayne in the studio at the rear of Matt’s new premises ‘Matt Cockayne Artist : Illustrator’ at 2 The Green, Hasland.
If you go to our website and click the publications tab, you’ll see every edition of S40 Local (and S41 Local), check out the cover of number 47, Autumn 2013, this was a one-off by Matt, when the couple had a shop on Chatsworth Road for a short while. Today the new premises are set to become a long-standing affair, Matt has reached a point where he knows what he does, what he’s good at and how the system works.
“I’ve always been a Chesterfield lad,” says Matt. “I’m originally from Sheffield but I’ve been in Chesterfield for the last 13 years, we moved to Hasland in 2020, during Covid.
"I love the sense of community around here. We’ve been welcomed by the businesses around us with open arms. We’ve been thinking about finding a base for a while now and when we spotted this it was a great opportunity, plus it’s just a two-minute walk to work!"
Matt looked at a space in Rother Valley, but the Hasland location is spot on, a lot of footfall past the door, a high street location and somewhere that’s highly visible on the school run!
"I’ve started networking, mainly in the pub, and made some contacts already," laughs Matt.
The new shop opened on Valentine’s Day and as well as selling his art, Matt wants to encourage those around him to get creative and take up art. He’ll be selling art supplies, pens, pencils, papers etc for people of all ages. “When I was younger, I was always seeking out new pencils and pens, so as well as the artwork it makes sense to have a small stock of art essentials,” says Matt.
Matt is influenced by Banksy and Van Gogh, ‘Starry Night’ being one of his favourite pieces of art. We chatted about the immersive experience and he’s making plans to see the Van Gogh installation which is presently in Leicester.
At this point, conversation took a bit of a turn, away from art, we discussed Chesterfield. Like me, Matt longs for experiences and places to visit in town, to not have to travel to Sheffield and the surrounding cities all the time. It’s clear Matt has a real passion for town and wants to see it as a destination, a place to visit, stay and linger, I added that having two teenagers I always feel like Chesterfield has forgotten it has any young people! We desperately need places with interesting activities to keep them entertained and allow them to grow.
Matt’s artwork is heavy on architecture, "I don’t do people or animals," he laughs. "I’m inspired by the older Victorian buildings, I think that’s why I love the shop and studio, an interesting space, not all straight lines and boxy design."
Influenced by Looney Tunes cartoons I can clearly see that in Matt’s work, bright colours, bold lines. On a recent trip to Amsterdam, one of Matt’s highlights was a Roy Lichtenstein exhibition, plus the chance to see work by Andy Warhol, again clearly people who are the inspiration for Matt’s style.
The subjects of Matt’s work are mostly very local, key places in the Peak District, Curbar Edge, Surprise View, Stanedge, plus Chesterfield spots, the Spire, the marketplace and many images of Sheffield, clubs Matt remembers affectionately and land marks across the city… look out for the Chesterfield nightclubs! “I love to draw places I have a connection with, places that featured in my teenage years, places I grew up with,” explains Matt.
"Ten years ago, I was still finding my style. I wouldn’t have been able to open the shop as you see it, I’m more comfortable with what I do now, I’ve found my place, established a loyal following and built a portfolio of work."
The studio and shop seem to be the perfect place for this creative couple, Lynsey works in design too, they can sit working in the studio and be around to meet and greet customers in the shop.
As well as running the business Matt likes to get involved in events, he’s supported the Roundabout charity, a charity working with homeless young people in South Yorkshire, by taking part in ‘Bangers & Cash’. This saw them drive to Munich starting in Hull to, Holland, Belgium, Germany, France, Lichtenstein, Austria and Switzerland… only to drive back in a day! Taking refuge in a hotel near Brands Hatch, being put up in a full hotel after the night manager heard them mentioning that they’d just driven back from Munich in a day. This event helped raise £250k for Roundabout.
In April, Matt’s wife Lynsey, runs the London Marathon. Lynsey suffers from muscular dystrophy and will be raising funds for related charities. "I’d just like to mention that I’ve been blown away by the support I’ve had in training from our new neighbours LPH fitness, they have been so supportive and really inspired me to train," adds Lynsey.
There’s a lot going on down at Matt Cockayne Illustration, if you fancy a commission of your house or business give him a call and be sure to make tracks to Hasland to check out the new shop.
And as always, tell him where you saw him, S40 Local!
Matt Cockayne
2 The Green, Hasland, S41 0LJ
@mattcockayneart
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