Born in the small town of Zebulon, Ga. in 1996, Matthew didn't grow up with much of an artistic influence save for his father's drawings and sketches long before Matthew was born. Despite not having any guidance or inspiration other than that he found on his own, Matthew's desire to draw fueled with every drawing, sketch and doodle. Drawing was his drive in life and his passion was relentless. Early on in his childhood he ventured into painting only to be met with disappointment, frustration and hate for the medium. It wasn't until years later that an older cousin inspired him to try again. This time he was hooked. Though his love for drawing in graphite remained, he became obsessed with painting. 

   Starting out with only 3 colors in acrylics and Walmart canvases, he churned out 20+ pieces in a short amount of time that aided him in learning the ins and outs of his newfound love. Over the next 2 years his supplies grew as well did his skill with the brush. His pieces became larger and more complex with composition and detail but Peterson grew tired of the quick drying times of acrylics as well as how they seemed to darken after they dried. He always knew that the old masters used oils and in his mind if he wanted to master painting, he had to paint how they did. Even though Matthew is red/green colorblind and is still learning on his own with the only training coming from public school teachers and various workshops, he has let none of that stand in the way of his artistic venture.