Baystate Franklin Medical Center is presenting an art exhibit by John Matlock, of West Springfield.  Matlock’s acrylic artwork will be on display in the corridor outside the Oncology Department (main floor), through December 31.  Part of BFMC’s Healing Environment Project, the exhibit is open to the public.

The son of an artist, Matlock grew up watching and studying his father, Thomas Matlock, paint landscapes in oil mediums in their basement studio in West Springfield.  Thirty-six years later, the younger Matlock now paints in the same studio, with the same easel, applying the lessons he learned from his father, while his own children now watch.

Matlock studied art at Holyoke Community College and the University of Massachusetts, concentrating in painting.  His artwork is inspired by such artists as Edward Hopper, Normal Rockwell and Andrew Wyeth.  He has sold his art across the country at juried art festivals, exhibits and online through his website (www.johnmatlockartwork.com).  He stays based primarily in New England.

Matlock’s paintings of old country barns and places long forgotten have been described as lonely and sometimes melancholy, yet they invoke a feeling of nostalgia at the same time.   He has also mastered the subject matter of marine life and underseas environments.

Artists who are interested in displaying their works at Baystate Franklin Medical Center can call the hospital’s administrative offices at 413-773-2761.