Matt Aufderheide was born in 1975 in Michigan and grew up on the shores of Lake Huron. His family later relocated to Ohio. Matt received a Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design at the University of Cincinnati. After receiving his degree, Aufderheide worked for a year with a graphic design firm in New York City. Deciding it was time to venture away from his northern roots, Matt departed for Europe and toured extensively. He spent much of his time sketching and studying artworks in the major museums as well as observing Roman art and architecture that become of particular interest to him during his travels. While abroad, Matt was also inspired by the natural and breathtaking landscapes of the Old World; the Italian and Swiss countryside would later become a reoccurring theme in many of his landscapes. When he returned from Europe, Matt worked for six years in Cleveland in the computer game industry as a 3D artist designing characters and environments. He also created a few games of his own that were published online. Even though he enjoyed this creative career, he knew he had a passion for painting that he wanted to pursue. He went on to study for three years with D. Jeffrey Mims, the director at the Academy of Classical Design in North Carolina. During this time, Aufderheide improved his technique and gained valuable experience with academic methods. He drew from plaster casts of classical sculpture, made copies of paintings and decorations, and learned a rigorous way of seeing shapes and values which is a critical skill for drawing from life. Matt strives to connect his work to the older traditions of Western art, being influenced by the Renaissance, Baroque and 19th Century academic art. For the past eight years he has lived in Cape Coral, Florida.