‘I don’t mean to paint badly’: accountant inundated with commissions for ‘terrible’ paintings
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Jamie Lee Matthias’s art becomes popular with social media users after seeing his ‘talent’ in portrait of wife. An accountant from Stoke-on-Trent who started his painting career little more than six months ago has been flooded with requests to work his magic thanks to his talent for “terrible” paintings.
Last May, Jamie Lee Matthias gave his then–fiancee a poster-paint canvas of the couple on their wedding day. The piece, which was crudely drawn, delighted their guests. “It went down a storm,” Matthias told BBC Radio Stoke. “It’s absolutely horrendous. As you can see, it looks nothing [like my wife]. I actually look a little bit like me. So from then, we decided that it’d be good to stitch them on the internet and see if people bought it.”.
Matthias shared his paintings on social media and was taken aback by the response. “As you’ve seen, from then, in the last week, it’s gone absolutely mental,” he said. So far, he has received 73 commissions. “It has been the craziest, insane week ever. We’ve laughed so much. It’s been a week full of joy,” said his wife, Kate. “It’s been a great start to the new year, and I can’t wait to see what he creates next.”.
“It’s bringing a smile to people’s faces,” Matthias said. “I’m having so much fun painting these because when I’m looking at the picture and then what I’ve done, it looks nothing like it, but it’s hilarious, and the people seem to have really bought into it.”.
When asked about those who might criticise his work, Matthias said: “They’re not my target audience.” One of those critics however, is it a bit closer to home. “It’s terrible. I wouldn’t buy it,” said Heidi, Matthias’s 11-year-old stepdaughter.
