Welcome to My Portfolio

Explore a curated collection of artwork by Monica Matthews, founder of Gaze and Graphite. Rooted in surreal symbolism, emotional storytelling, and graphite-inspired detail, each piece invites viewers to look beneath the surface and connect with themes of memory, identity, healing, nostalgia, place, and transformation.

From Pittsburgh-inspired collections to introspective symbolic works, this portfolio offers a deeper look into the visual language behind Gaze and Graphite.

The Still Garden | A Collection of Petals, Wings, and Quiet Wonder

Cover image for the Weightless Hour surreal art series, featuring a dreamy female figure lounging in golden clouds with a glass of wine, atmospheric cinematic cloudscape artwork representing poetic escapism and feminine surrealism by Gaze and Graphite.

Pittsburgh skyline reflected in wine glass, digital artwork by Monica Matthews, featuring city nightlife, bridges, and spirits culture from the Still City collection.

Chromatic Legends collection cover featuring a colorful contemporary portrait rendered in bold rainbow rays and painterly brushstrokes, exploring identity, memory, and modern portrait art.

Connected in Color collection cover by Gaze and Graphite featuring I Love You in Color, a colorful ASL I love you hand sign symbolizing love, connection, inclusion, and tribute to the artist’s mother

Mindscapes Series cover by Gaze and Graphite featuring Surfacebound, a surreal underwater woman with flowing orange hair and goldfish symbolizing emotional depth, reflection, and transformation

Pittsburgh Playmakers | A Collection of Hometown Spirit

Uncollected: Where singular visions rest, waiting to become more.

Surreal portrait of a woman's face partially obscured by delicate butterfly wings, blending themes of vision, concealment, and transformation; cover artwork for The Nature of Sight collection by Gaze and Graphite, featuring symbolic nature-inspired surrealism.

A surreal eye made of turquoise and chocolate tones surrounded by vibrant candy—lollipops, sprinkles, gumballs, and candy canes—bursting in all directions, representing the whimsical theme of the Eye Candy Series.

Cover artwork for the Brewburgh Collection featuring imaginative coffee-inspired illustrations that blend Pittsburgh’s skyline, vintage espresso machines, and surreal brewing elements.

Vintage inspired surreal portrait of a woman with a dark painted veil obscuring her eyes and the phrase “You Have Chosen to Limit Visibility” written across the surface. The muted green and sepia toned artwork explores concealment, perception, identity, and emotional visibility through symbolic portraiture and atmospheric shadow.

Dark surreal artwork of a skull emerging from smoky shadows, with the Pittsburgh skyline rising from the top of the head and small city scenes reflected inside the eye sockets, creating a haunting image of memory, place, and what remains.

Digital illustration of a giant yellow rubber duck wearing a shirt labeled “YINZER,” floating on a river with the Pittsburgh skyline and yellow bridge in the background. Whimsical and city-themed artwork celebrating Pittsburgh pride.

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