Matthew Bourne is a British painter known for his expressive and atmospheric depictions of the natural world. Working mainly in oil, he captures the textures, colours, and shifting moods of the countryside, often focusing on areas in the north of England. His paintings blend observation with imagination, creating landscapes that feel both familiar and dreamlike. Bourne’s energetic brushwork and layered surfaces give his work a lively, tactile quality. His approach shows a deep sensitivity to the changing seasons, light conditions, and natural forms that shape the rural environment.

I use whatever comes to hand oil paint, copious amounts of linseed oil, oil sticks, collage, Brushes, palette knives, String,syringes, bottle tops, wire wool, sticks, nails, rags, hair, grass, leaves freshly sheared sheeps wool and so on. However, I never work on board."- Quote from Michael Bourne

Matthew Bourne draws inspiration from the rural landscapes of northern England, particularly the hills, fields, and rivers of areas like Yorkshire and Derbyshire. He is fascinated by the changing light and weather conditions that constantly transform the countryside. His work reflects an emotional response to place rather than a direct, photographic representation. Through loose brushwork and layered colour, Bourne evokes the feel of open spaces, shifting skies, and seasonal change. His landscapes are built as much from memory and feeling as from direct observation, giving them a timeless and expressive quality. Michael stated his inspiration comes from "Everywhere, Landscape, both rural and urban all aspects of nature and the pure marvel of transformative quality of paint. Areas of the country I tend to paint are Derbyshire, Yorkshire Wales and Norfolk".

Matthew Bourne’s style blends elements of traditional landscape painting with a freer, more expressive modern approach. His paintings are known for their bold compositions, textured surfaces, and loose, gestural brushwork. Bourne often simplifies forms, focusing instead on the rhythms of the landscape and the changing effects of light and weather. This gives his work a sense of movement and vitality. Rather than aiming for exact detail, he captures the emotional atmosphere of a place, allowing the viewer to feel the landscape’s presence through rich colour and dynamic structure. When asked about hsi style Michael says "It is not about the actual subject, it is the materiality of the painting and the poetic notion of the paint."

Over time, Matthew Bourne’s work has become increasingly confident in its abstraction and use of texture. Early pieces were more closely tied to direct observation, but his recent paintings show a greater emphasis on mood, memory, and emotional response. His use of thicker paint, broader marks, and layered colour has deepened, giving the surfaces of his paintings a rich, almost tactile quality. This evolution reflects Bourne’s growing focus on the internal experience of landscape, creating works that balance the real and the imagined in striking, expressive ways.