Some exciting publishing news!
In 2010, UPNE published my first book, Freshwater Fish of New the Northeast, written by my father, David Patterson. Pairing his lively text with my 62 original illustrations, the book was honored with a National Outdoor Book Award—and more importantly, we had a blast working on it together through many fishing expeditions or as we told people “business trips.” Tragically, a year before last, my father passed away. But Brandeis University Press will be re-issuing this book April 19th with a slightly new cover, a new introduction written by me, and a new foreword written by Sy Montgomery.
Preorder here - Freshwater Fish of the Northeast: Patterson, David A., Patterson, Matt, Mongomery, Sy: 9781684582167: Amazon.com: Books
THE BOOK OF TURTLES was selected as a Sibert Honor Book. It is one of four to join this very short list of the most distinguished nonfiction books for young readers published in English in 2023!
The Washington Post raves about Of Time and Turtles:
Few writers are better than Montgomery at capturing the wonder of animals without taming them. She writes that the eyes of an Indochinese box turtle evoke “the polished stones you find in a clear stream, and carry with them a hint of a stone’s ancient patience.” Many of Montgomery’s best similes are like this, equating one natural thing to another in a way that suggests a filiating network of correspondences and connections that might ordinarily go unnoticed. But she is equally good at capturing the often transformative experience of human contact with animals….
On more than one occasion I had to put the book down because I was sobbing, sometimes simply because turtles are just that special….
Like all of Montgomery’s work, then, “Of Time and Turtles” is a book that will make you want to be not a better human but a better animal. Hers is an oeuvre that encourages us to contemplate our continuity with other creatures, proving that our responsibility for their well-being is not some God-given, Adamic burden but a consequence of our culpability for damaging the world that they share with us, and we with them.
September, 2023
Turtles All the Way Up! Of Time and Turtles is a bestseller.
#13 on The New York Times Hardcover Nonfiction Bestseller list for October 8.
#12 on the Indie Bestsellers List for the week ending September 24.
#4 on the New England Indies Booksellers List for the week ending September 24,
#13 on the Mountains and Plains Indie Bestsellers List.
#14 on the Pacific Northwest Indie Bestsellers List.
I’m excited to announce that The Book of Turtles was released May 2nd! Books are currently available wherever books are sold. Link - THE BOOK OF TURTLES
NH Chronicle
New England Chronicle
12/01/20
I'm happy to have just found out that my blanding's turtle painting took first place in the category "Animals in the Wild" in the Golden Turtle International Wildlife Festival!
Limited Edition Brook Trout Print - Orvis Exclusive
I recently created this limited edition print (above) for Orvis which is available exclusively through them (https://www.orvis.com/p/limited-edition-brook-trout-print/2xgp). I haven't really ever created anything like this before. The idea was to do something that was half painting, half drawing. I did the drawing in pencil with a stained coffee background and then painted the fish with acrylics. I also used thin washes to add some color into the drawing around the trout. The size of the print will be 16x20 and it will be framed in a rustic Adirondack style frame.
Radiated Tortoise Print
Link to print below.
I now have a limited edition print of my new radiated tortoise painting available. There are only 100 of these prints available, each one is numbered and signed by me. ALL PROCEEDS from this print will be donated to the Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA). If any of you are willing to share or re-post this I would greatly appreciate it! There is a link to my Etsy where you can purchase the print below.
In 2019, I had the opportunity to travel to Madagascar and see these amazing animals in the wild. This painting is inspired by the tortoises and plants I saw while there. I was able to visit TSA's Tortoise Conservation Center and also participate in their radiated tortoise survey. It was an incredible experience being in the spiny forest and seeing these tortoises in their habitat.
The work that TSA and others are doing is so important to the survival of these critically endangered animals in the wild. In the 90's there was an estimated 12 million radiated tortoises in the wild. In 2013 the number was estimated to only be 6 million. Today that number has been cut in half again and there are only 3 million radiated tortoises estimated in the wild. Just think what that number will be in a couple more years if nothing is done. Just last April a house was discovered in southern Madagascar with over 10,000 radiated tortoises that had illegally been taken from the wild. Six months later another house was discovered with 7,000 tortoises. The Turtle Survival Alliance along with other conservation organizations are working to help protect this species. Success depends on many things, one is building partnerships with local communities and being able to educate and foster an interest with them to protect the wildlife they live with.
All you have to do is buy a print to help contribute to this cause. PLEASE share this post and together lets help raise some money for tortoise conservation!!
Madagascar - Radiated Tortoises
Recently I traveled to Madagascar and had the opportunity to participate in a radiated tortoise survey. While in Madagascar, I also had a chance to visit the TCC (Tortoise Conservation Center) run by TSA (The Turtle Survival Alliance). My total trip from start to finish was about three weeks. After flying into the capital Antanarivo, I then took a plane south to Fort Dauphin. From this mountainous tropical area located on the edge of the Indian Ocean I traveled 7 hours by vehicle down washed out bumpy roads into the spiny forest and to TCC.
Over 8,000 critically endangered tortoises that have been confiscated from poachers are currently being kept and cared for at this center. The amount of work that goes into caring for this many tortoises is truly amazing. Ny Aina Tiana Rak, Christel Griffioen and locals who work there have to maintain enclosures, water, feed, and monitor each tortoise's health along with providing security for the center. I was able to enter some of the enclosures and was surrounded by hundreds of these beautiful animals. Several large tortoises immediately came up to me, curious and of course....wanting food. While camping at TCC I also saw many other amazing species such as chameleons, boas, lemurs and giant centipedes. One of the first things I noticed when arriving was the sound of insects that seems to constantly fill the air both day and night. The heat was intense.... especially coming from mid NH winter. My tent every night felt like it was about 100 degrees!
After spending six days at TCC I then headed to meet up with the team conducting the tortoise surveys in some extremely remote areas. The spiny forest is such a unique place, I don't think there is anything else like it on earth?! It seems every species of plant has spikes, spines and thorns. Even the leaves of some plants have spines that seem to reach out and grab you as you walk by.
Seeing radiated tortoise in the wild and even at times having them walk through our camp was amazing. As a turtle person, I think every species of tortoise or turtle is good looking BUT radiated tortoises have to be the most beautiful tortoise species in the world! This fact is probably part of the reason they are so heavily poached for the illegal pet trade. Each one has star patterns on their carapace and these patterns are unique to each tortoise (kind of like a finger print to us). In the field, the days involved heading out at 6 am to the first plot. Each field site had five plots that were measured off. One and a half hours were spent in each plot every day surveying the tortoises and plants found in them. Tortoises were numbered, weighed and measured. The area they were found in was recorded along with the vegetation and time of day. I was fortunate enough to tag along at two sites. The team was able to complete surveys at 9 different possible reintroduction sites and surveyed over 800 tortoises!
There were around 6 members on the team. Everyone picked out a spot in our camp and slept in tents. On one occasion I had a frog hop into my tent....a surprising late night visitor considering we were in a desert. It is however rainy season and the spiny forest was as green as it gets and even had flowers blossoming. No matter where we were a rooster always seemed to be nearby crowing in the morning. After this about a week with the team I began to make my way back towards the capital. This process took about 3 days. I enjoyed all my time spent both at TCC and with the radiated team. It's an experience I will never forget and I am honored to have been able to see the work they are doing first hand.
The work that wildlife biologists and conservationists are doing is so important to the survival of these critically endangered animals in the wild. This survey was supported by TSA and the OKC Zoo. In the 90's there was an estimated 12 million radiated tortoises in the wild. In 2013 the number was estimated to only be 6 million. Today that number has been cut in half again and there are only 3 million radiated tortoises estimated in the wild. Just think what that number will be in a couple more years if nothing is done. Sadly, many people aren't even aware of this crisis since it doesn't seem to make news headlines. Just last April a house was discovered in southern Madagascar with over 10,000 radiated tortoises that had illegally been taken from the wild. Six months later another house was discovered with 7,000 tortoises. The Turtle Survival Alliance along with other conservation organizations are working to help protect this species. Success depends on many things, one is building partnerships with local communities and being able to educate and foster an interest with them to protect the wildlife they live with. I will be doing a series of work based off of my experiences on this trip so stay tuned for some new paintings!! I also would like to do a limited edition print to help raise money to go towards the conservation of this species.
Wild America Nature Festival
My painting of blanding's turtles recently won the Nature Art Award and also the Roger Tory Peterson's 2018 Wild American Art Award.
Artists For Conservation
I'm excited to announce that I have recently been accepted as a Signature Member into Artists for Conservation (AFC). Artists for Conservation is an international non-profit that's mission is to support wildlife and habitat conservation along with environmental education through art that celebrates nature (http://www.artistsforconservation.org/).
Newspaper and Magazine articles covering The Snake and the Salamander.
Vermont Institute of Nature Science - http://vtnature.blogspot.com/2017/07/book-review-snake-and-salamander.html
Monadnock Ledger - http://www.ledgertranscript.com/Patterson-illustrates-reptile-guide-8372217
NH Magazine - http://www.nhmagazine.com/March-2017/Matt-Pattersons-Nature-Studies/
Altamont Enterpise - https://altamontenterprise.com/03142017/breisch-identifies-nature-and-worth-%E2%80%98herps%E2%80%99-our-midst