Matthew Solly – Making pictures talk on the Surf Coast Arts Trail
Published on 29 July 2026
There’s a dainty emu wren flitting about Anglesea’s Coogoorah Park, and one day soon it’s going to be famous.
Acclaimed local artist Matthew Solly has been on its tail – taking photos, making notes, building the mind’s eye image which will one day be transformed into an expressive linocut print.
Matthew is best known for his works capturing evocative coastal scenes including land and seascapes, surfers, boards and classic cars, but bush birds are also a favourite – and wrens a favourite among them.
“I’ve virtually been following this wren all year. Eventually I’ll do a print of it,” he says with a smile.
The process will take time, and more time – refining the image, exacting the drawing, carving it into the lino so it’s ready to run through the press – and it’s a thoughtful process he has made his own during the best part of 30 years.
“Once you’ve got it drawn and got the image that you like, that’s sort of like the wow factor,” Matthew says.
“And then it’s time to carve it out. It’s time consuming, but it’s rewarding.
“As you carve you make mistakes and things get cut off that you don’t want to cut off. You can stick them back on but sometimes the mistakes are good and make it more hand-made.
“Some things aren’t perfect, and you don’t have to have everything perfect all the time. It still evolves as you carve.”
The bits you leave out
Similarly Matthew’s coastal scenes might leave parts to the imagination.
“It’s the bits that you leave out that makes the picture talk to most people,” he says.
“I try not to put faces in, so it’s more like symbolism. It looks like the right shape for the person but there’ll be no definition, and you can’t see if they’re winking or having a smile.
“With the backgrounds, I won’t do a sky, I won’t do a horizon line, it will just be the landscape.”
Matthew will again share his works and methods as part of a popular Solly-Giles family collaboration during this year’s Surf Coast Arts Trail, on 1 and 2 August.
The 16th Trail, from 10am to 4pm both days, is set to attract thousands of people to admire the works and methods of more than 300 artists at more than 60 venues from hinterland to coast.
A family show
The combined attraction of Matthew’s works, alongside those of his ceramicist wife Melinda, their surfboard shaper son Will, and Melinda’s parents, printmaker Jill and woodworker Geoff has historically drawn throngs to their Anglesea base.
“It’s a family show, and we’ll probably get 200 people every day so it’s a massive weekend,” Matthew says.
“We love the Trail. It’s meeting people and sharing your ideas on art, and then on-selling – sending people to different areas of Anglesea and the Surf Coast to explore more of what’s out there.
“The different people and styles of art they do are amazing.”
Visit the Trail
People can visit surfcoastartstrail.com.au to learn about artists and venues participating in this year’s Trail, and start planning weekend adventures.
Printed programs with maps are available from Council’s office at 1 Merrijig Drive, Torquay, visitor information centres, community houses, Anglesea Art Space and Anglesea Art House. All trail venues will have printed programs available.
Visit the Arts Trail After Hours guide via surfcoastevents.com.au for listing of performing art events and entertainment on across the region after the Trail studios and galleries have closed.
Image: Bobby Dazzler Photography