About me
I currently live with my partner in a peaceful little cottage on a rainforest covered mountain in Bundjalung country, Northern NSW.
I was born in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea, where I spent the first eleven and a half years of my life. After almost failing high school in Sydney, I lived the itinerate life of a stockman for some years on cattle stations in Queensland, before returning to Sydney to study fine art and music. During my twenties I spent a couple of years in the UK, working as an equestrian artist, painting some of Britain’s leading polo ponies and thoroughbreds. I am a children’s author/illustrator and my works have been published in several different languages around the world. I’m also a composer and used to be a professional flamenco guitarist (but I don’t have as much time as I’d like to practice any more). I am currently an endorsed Yamaha musician and am involved in many exciting music composition projects, which you can find out more about on the multi-modal/music page.
Some things I love, apart from the arts are woodworking, tea and wildlife. For many years along aside my day job I worked as a volunteer wildlife rescuer, specialising in snakes, possums and bats.
The following list contains most of my published works and exhibitions and some projects under contract but not yet released.
Published Books
- The Tree of Ecstasy and Unbearable Sadness, March 2022 Matt Ottley (Author/Illustrator/Composer), Dirt Lane Press
- Afloat in Venice, 2021 by Tina Wilson, Music composed by Matt Ottley, One Tentacle Publishing
- The Colour of Music, 2021 by Lisa Tiffen, Midnight Sun
- How to Make a Bird, 2020 Meg McKinlay, Walker Books, Winner of the WA Premier’s Literary Award, shortlisted for the QLD Premier’s Literary Award, Winner of the CBCA picture book of the year 2021, Joint Winner of the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards, 2021.
- Dumazi & The Big Yellow Lion, 2019 Valanga Khoza, Scholastic
- Mrs Millie’s Painting (re-release), 2019 Matt Ottley (Author/Illustrator), One Tentacle Publishing
- Jack and the Beanstalk, 2019 Matt Ottley (Author/Illustrator), Scholastic
- The Incredible Freedom Machines, 2018 Kirli Saunders, Scholastic, Shortlisted for the Australian Prime Minister’s Literary Awards, CBCA Notable 2019
- Sarah and the Steep Slope, 2017 Danny Parker, Hardie Grant Egmont – Little Hare
- Crusts, 2016 Danny Parker, Hardie Grant Egmont – Little Hare
- Suri’s Wall, 2015 Lucy Estela, Penguin Random House, shortlisted CBCA picture book of the year 2016
- Teacup, 2015 Rebecca Young, Ashton Scholastic, Winner of the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards – Patricia Wrightson Prize for Children’s Literature, CBCA Notable 2016, 2018 IBBY Australia Honour Book for Illustration
- Parachute, 2013 Danny Parker, Hardie Grant, shortlisted CBCA picture book of the year 2014
- Tree, 2012 Danny Parker, Hardie Grant
- No Kind of Superman, 2011 Danny Parker, Windy Hollow Books
- Me and My Dad, 2010 Sally Morgan and Ezekiel Kwaymullina, Little Hare
- The Serpent’s Tale, 2010 Gary Crew, Lothian/Hachette
- Home and Away, 2009 John Marsden, Lothian/Hachette, CBCA Honour Book of the year 2009
- Requiem for a Beast, 2007 Matt Ottley (Author/Illustrator), Lothian/Hachette, winner CBCA picture book of the year 2008, winner Queensland Premier’s award for YA fiction 2008
- Faust in Space, 2006 Matt Ottley (Author/Illustrator), Hatchette Livre
- Little Penguin, 2005 Josie Montano, Lothian Books
- The Bubble, 2004 Josie Montano, Lothian Books
- Ballads, Satire and Salt, 2003 Stephen Oliver, Greywacke Press
- Hyram and B, 2003 Brian Caswell, Hodder Headline
- Faust’s Party, 2000 Matt Ottley (Author/Illustrator), Hodder Headline
- Unmanned, 1999 Stephen Oliver, cover illustration HeadworX Publishers
- Luke’s Way of Looking, 1999 Nadia Wheatley, Hodder Headline (Children’s Book Council Shortlisted, and Honour Book, 2000 awards)
- Mrs Millie’s Painting, 1997 Matt Ottley (Author/Illustrator), Hodder Headline
- Sailing Home, 1996 Colin Thompson, Hodder Headline
- What Faust Saw, 1995 Matt Ottley (Author/Illustrator), Hodder Headline
- Exploring Australia by Land, 1988 Wade Hughes, John Ferguson Publishing
- Exploring Ancient Australia, 1988 John Ferguson Publishing
- Albert’s Rainy Day, 1987 Matt Ottley (Author/Illustrator), Hodder & Stoughton
- Prehistoric Australia, 1987 Brian Mackness, Golden Press
- Eyespy (children’s magazine), 1985 Ashton Scholastic
- Please Don’t Feed the Animals, 1984 Ashton Scholastic
- Venomous wildlife, 1983 Golden Press
- Dinosaurs, 1983 Golden Press
- Ancient Australia, 1983 Golden Press
- Explorers, 1983 Golden Press
Music Composition – The Sound of Picture Books (multi-modal musical works)
- The Tree of Ecstasy and Unbearable Sadness: 50-minute multimodal work containing images, music and narration. The music is scored for large orchestra (76 piece), 40 voice choir and solo tenor by Matt Ottley, 2022. Guest composition by Alf Demasi.
- How to Make a Bird: 11-minute multimodal work containing images, Meg McKinlay’s narration of her text for the book How to Make a Bird, and music for string quintet, piano, French horn and clarinet by Matt Ottley, 2021
- Afloat in Venice: 11-minute multimodal work containing images, Tina Wilson’s narration of her text for the book Afloat in Venice, and music for string quintet, piano, French horn and clarinet by Matt Ottley, 2021
- The Incredible Freedom Machines: 8-minute multimodal work containing images, Kirli Saunder’s narration of her text for the book The Incredible Freedom Machines, and music for string quintet and piano by Matt Ottley, 2019
- Dumazi and the Big Yellow Lion: 30-minute multimodal work containing images from the book Dumazi and the Big Yellow Lion. Music composed for small orchestra with guest composition by Valanga Khoza (narration, lyrics and playing of traditional zulu instruments), 2018.
- Teacup: 40-minute multimodal work containing animations, images and narrated text from the award winning book Teacup. Music for chamber orchestra (Piano, 1 x violin, 1 x cello, 1 x double bass, recorder quartet, organ, recorded natural sounds, soprano and alto) by Matt Ottley, 2016
- Home and Away: 18-minute multimodal work containing images, the narrated text from the book Home & Away, and music for symphony orchestra and soprano by Matt Ottley, 2014
- Parachute: 8-minute multimodal work containing images, the narrated text from the book Parachute, and music for string quintet and piano by Matt Ottley, 2014
- Tree: 8-minute multimodal work containing images, Danny Parker’s narration of his text for the book Tree, and music for string quintet and piano by Matt Ottley, 2013
- Requiem for a Beast: 30-minute multimodal work containing images and music (no narration). Music composed by Matt Ottley for string quintet, piano, harpsichord, soprano, tenor (traditional Bundjalung singing), 2007.
Print media articles and illustrations
- School Magazine, NSW Various illustrations since 2004
- Beneath the Skin, May 2002 Scan vol 21, no 2
- Lesley Rees lecture, 2008
Exhibitions of visual arts
I have exhibited paintings in the following major galleries:
- The Upstairs Gallery, Cairns
- Noella Burn Gallery, Sydney
- Barry Stern Galleries, Sydney – solo exhibition
- Bond Street Gallery, London
- Black Swan Prize for Portraiture, Finalist, 2011
- Tryon Gallery, London
- Fremantle Children’s Literature Centre, Fremantle – solo exhibitions
- Customs House gallery, Warrnambool
- National Art Gallery, Canberra – solo exhibition
- Australian National Maritime Museum, Sydney
- Books Illustrated, Melbourne
- Stop Laughing, this is Serious Gallery, Sydney
- Orange Regional Gallery, NSW