ILLUSTRATOR / AUTHOR

Matt Ottley was born in 1962 in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea where he spent the first twelve years of his life. His family then moved to Sydney, where he attended high school and studied painting under the artist Stan Clements. Struck by wanderlust after completing school, Matt worked as a jackeroo on cattle stations in western Queensland before returning to Sydney to study fine arts at the Julian Ashton School of Art. He also began studying the classical guitar and musical composition.

Matt has travelled widely, both within Australia and Europe. He lived for two years in Britain where his paintings were exhibited in some of London's leading galleries. His work has also been shown widely across New South Wales and Queensland. He continued to work from time to time as a stockman on remote cattle stations, then settled in Sydney in 1993 to work as a landscape gardener and creative artist. He now lives in the Tweed Valley (northern NSW) where he continues to write and illustrate books, and to compose music.

Matt's has had illustrations published in numerous books, both fiction and nonfiction. His books have continued to grow in popularity, What Faust Saw having become an international bestseller. Sailing Home (with Colin Thompson), a Notable Book in 1997, and Mrs Millie's Painting (1997) were also extremely well received.

Luke's Way of Looking (with Nadia Wheatley), released in 1999, was an Honour Book in the 2000 CBC Picture Book of the Year Awards and Matt is now established as a formidable force in the world of children's literature. Faust's Party was his most recent release and a new picture book, Jack and Molly, is planned for 2001 (with text by Matt's wife, Sarah Armstrong).

Matt has a range of talks and workshops to suit students across the Prep to Year 12 spectrum. Because of his diverse background, he particularly welcomes the chance to work with pre-adolescent and adolescent boys, addressing issues of self-esteem, male stereotyping and masculinity and encouraging their creativity. If a residency is under consideration, involving teachers in the art and music departments can maximise the benefits of Matt's visit.