For Matt Patterson, the pursuit of his subjects is as much a part of the work as the painting itself — he has caught alligators bare-handed from a kayak, camped in the Everglades, and travelled to Madagascar to find wild radiated tortoises in the Spiny Thicket, all in service of rendering wildlife with the accuracy it deserves. Raised in rural New Hampshire by a biology teacher father, his lifelong devotion to reptiles, fish and wild creatures has shaped a practice rooted equally in conservation and craft. He holds a degree in illustration from the Art Institute of Boston, and his paintings have been recognized with the Roger Tory Peterson Wild American Art Award, the Artist for Conservation Medal of Excellence and the international Golden Turtle award. A fellow of the Explorer's Club, he is also a published author and illustrator: his 2024 collaboration with National Book Award finalist Sy Montgomery, Of Time and Turtles, was a New York Times bestseller, and their picture book The Book of Turtles won seven national awards.