31 Days in July : Matt Sesow


Click on an image to view the painting's detail.

This page: The "31 Days in July", by Matt Sesow: 2012. The ninth year of the project




































matt sesow selftaught artist

"Children in the Sand, with Terrorist Diversion"
30" x 40" on stretched canvas
*SOLD
oil/acrylic on the painting
july 1, 2012 31 days in july matt sesow painting
(usa kills 8 in pakistan via drone attack, 9th year of '31 days in july' begins... estimates over 100 children in pakistan killed by drones so far. obama administration classifies 'males' as 'militants')
email sesow@sesow.com to reserve/ask about purchasing. please include url and description.
matt sesow selftaught artist

"Saint Malverde"
30" x 40" on stretched canvas
*SOLD

oil/acrylic on the painting
july 2, 2012 31 days in july matt sesow painting
(new president Pena Nieto inherits drug war, Saint Malverde represents many poor/traffickers as 'robin hood')
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matt sesow selftaught artist

"Guardian of Timbuktu"
30" x 40" on stretched canvas
*SOLD
(painting of Al Farouk guardian of Timbuktu... monument was destroyed by al qaeda in mali at the Place d'Independance leading into Timbuktu.)

oil/acrylic on the painting
july 3, 2012 31 days in july matt sesow painting

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matt sesow selftaught artist
"Laissez Faire (with exceptional americans and higgs boson)"
30" x 40" on stretched canvas
*SOLD
(painting for july 4 reflecting on the heat wave/global warming/electrical outage in dc, the idea of 'american exceptionalism', vacation day for white collar workers, exceptional americans/founding fathers, and the discovery of the higgs boson particle/fireworks.)

oil/acrylic on the painting
july 4, 2012 31 days in july matt sesow painting

email sesow@sesow.com to reserve/ask about purchasing. please include url and description.
matt sesow selftaught artist

"Terrorized"
30" x 40" on stretched canvas
*SOLD
(painting inspired by today's story in the UK Telegraph "Bee stings killed as many in UK as terrorists...")

oil/acrylic on the painting
july 5, 2012 31 days in july matt sesow painting

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matt sesow selftaught artist

"the Hunted"
30" x 40" on stretched canvas
*SOLD
(inspired by the news that s. korea will allow killing of whales again... whale meat is sold in some south korean restaurants)

oil/acrylic on the painting
july 6, 2012 31 days in july matt sesow painting

email sesow@sesow.com to reserve/ask about purchasing. please include url and description.
matt sesow selftaught artist

"Running from the Bull"
30" x 40" on stretched canvas
*SOLD
‎(inspired by inspired by the annual 'running of the bulls' in pamplona)

oil/acrylic on the painting
july 7, 2012 31 days in july matt sesow painting

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matt sesow selftaught artist

"Touring"
30" x 40" on stretched canvas
*SOLD
(inspired by annual tour de france)

oil/acrylic on the painting
july 8, 2012 31 days in july matt sesow painting

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matt sesow selftaught artist

"keep calm and carry on" (with dog of summer and dog of war)"
30" x 40" on stretched canvas
*SOLD
(inspired by hottest year on record ever recorded, multiple days in 90's/100F, 6 american soldiers killed in Afghanistan by ied)

oil/acrylic on the painting
july 9, 2012 31 days in july matt sesow painting

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matt sesow selftaught artist

"Mister Monopoly"
30" x 40" on stretched canvas
*SOLD
(inspired by LIBOR manipulation by Barclays )

oil/acrylic on the painting
july 10, 2012 31 days in july matt sesow painting

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matt sesow selftaught artist

"Birds (of mexico)"
30" x 40" on stretched canvas
*SOLD
(inspired by bird flu scare and inoculation in mexico against bird flu. 2 million chickens killed to offset the scare )

oil/acrylic on the painting
july 11, 2012 31 days in july matt sesow painting

email sesow@sesow.com to reserve/ask about purchasing. please include url and description.
matt sesow selftaught artist

"Striking Miner"
30" x 40" on stretched canvas
*SOLD
(inspired by striking miners in Madrid over austerity measures levied by Spanish govt. )

oil/acrylic on the painting
july 12, 2012 31 days in july matt sesow painting

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matt sesow selftaught artist

"Defiant (massacre in syria)"
30" x 40" on stretched canvas
(inspired by 200 killed in syria at the hands of govt. and militia and picasso's 'massacre in korea' )
*SOLD
oil/acrylic on the painting
july 13, 2012 31 days in july matt sesow painting

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matt sesow selftaught artist

"Folk Hero"
30" x 40" on unstretched canvas
*SOLD
(inspired by 100th birthday of Woody Guthrie )

oil/acrylic on the painting
july 14, 2012 31 days in july matt sesow painting

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matt sesow selftaught artist

"Great White Shark"
30" x 40" on unstretched canvas
*SOLD
(inspired by fatal shark attack in Australia )

oil/acrylic on the painting
july 15, 2012 31 days in july matt sesow painting

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matt sesow selftaught artist

"Happy Fish"
30" x 40" on stretched canvas
*SOLD
(inspired by fish benefiting from recent warm temperatures in the Chesapeake bay )

oil/acrylic on the painting
july 16, 2012 31 days in july matt sesow painting

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matt sesow selftaught artist

"Hula Dancers"
30" x 40" on stretched canvas
(inspired by Fukushima/Japan beaches open with celebrations including hula dancers, since tsunami and nuclear disaster over a year ago )
*SOLD
oil/acrylic on the painting
july 17, 2012 31 days in july matt sesow painting

email sesow@sesow.com to reserve/ask about purchasing. please include url and description.
matt sesow selftaught artist

"Elephant Remembers"
30" x 40" on stretched canvas
*SOLD
(inspired by news that poachers and re-sellers of illegal ivory in america are unfazed by fines and penalties)

oil/acrylic on the painting
july 18, 2012 31 days in july matt sesow painting

email sesow@sesow.com to reserve/ask about purchasing. please include url and description.
matt sesow selftaught artist

"See Something, Say Something"
30" x 40" on unstretched canvas
*SOLD
(inspired by terrorist attack in bulgaria against israeli tourists)

oil/acrylic on the painting
july 19, 2012 31 days in july matt sesow painting

email sesow@sesow.com to reserve/ask about purchasing. please include url and description.
matt sesow selftaught artist

"The Joker"
30" x 40" on stretched canvas
*SOLD
(inspired by movement of chemical weapons in Syria, and the killing of 12 in colorado theater during batman movie premiere)

oil/acrylic on the painting
july 20, 2012 31 days in july matt sesow painting

email sesow@sesow.com to reserve/ask about purchasing. please include url and description.
matt sesow selftaught artist

"Lady in red pants, with growler"
30" x 40" oil on stretched canvas
*SOLD
(inspired by return of matisse painting odalisque in red pants)

oil/acrylic on the painting
july 21, 2012 31 days in july matt sesow painting

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matt sesow selftaught artist

"Pussy Riot"
30" x 40" oil on stretched canvas
*SOLD
(inspired by russian punk band 'pussy riot' jailed for singing anti-putin songs)

oil/acrylic on the painting
july 22, 2012 31 days in july matt sesow painting

email sesow@sesow.com to reserve/ask about purchasing. please include url and description.
matt sesow selftaught artist

"The Innocent"
30" x 40" on stretched canvas
*SOLD
(inspired by 107 killed in iraq bombings/terrorist attacks in one day )

oil/acrylic on the painting
july 23, 2012 31 days in july matt sesow painting

email sesow@sesow.com to reserve/ask about purchasing. please include url and description.
matt sesow selftaught artist

"Chicken Inspection"
30" x 40" oil on stretched canvas
*SOLD
(inspired by salmonella hatchery outbreak in 11 states)

oil/acrylic on the painting
july 22, 2012 31 days in july matt sesow painting

email sesow@sesow.com to reserve/ask about purchasing. please include url and description.
matt sesow selftaught artist

"War Drum"
30" x 40" oil on stretched canvas
*SOLD
(inspired by war drums against iran and syria)

oil/acrylic on the painting
july 25, 2012 31 days in july matt sesow painting

email sesow@sesow.com to reserve/ask about purchasing. please include url and description.
matt sesow selftaught artist

"Vikings of the fjord"
30" x 40" oil on stretched canvas
(inspired by melting of ice in greenland)

oil/acrylic on the painting
july 26, 2012 31 days in july matt sesow painting

email sesow@sesow.com to reserve/ask about purchasing. please include url and description.
matt sesow selftaught artist

"Love Birds"
30" x 40" oil on stretched canvas
*SOLD
(inspired by marriage of north korean leader)

oil/acrylic on the painting
july 27, 2012 31 days in july matt sesow painting

email sesow@sesow.com to reserve/ask about purchasing. please include url and description.
matt sesow selftaught artist

"Opening Ceremony"
30" x 40" acrylic on stretched canvas
*SOLD
(inspired by opening of summer olympics in london)

oil/acrylic on the painting
july 28, 2012 31 days in july matt sesow painting

email sesow@sesow.com to reserve/ask about purchasing. please include url and description.
matt sesow selftaught artist

"Flocking"
30" x 40" acrylic on stretched canvas
*SOLD
(inspired by the flocking of folk to the olympics and the story about the 1909 pigeon shooting as part of the old olympic games)

oil/acrylic on the painting
july 29, 2012 31 days in july matt sesow painting

email sesow@sesow.com to reserve/ask about purchasing. please include url and description.
matt sesow selftaught artist

"Reclining Nude queen"
30" x 40" acrylic on stretched canvas
*SOLD
(inspired by criticism of queen of England and the disconnect she has with the population)

oil/acrylic on the painting
july 30, 2012 31 days in july matt sesow painting

email sesow@sesow.com to reserve/ask about purchasing. please include url and description.
matt sesow selftaught artist

"The Blackout"
30" x 40" oil on stretched canvas
*SOLD
(inspired by electricity blackout in india that left over 670 million without power, 1/10th of the human population)

oil/acrylic on the painting
july 31, 2012 31 days in july matt sesow painting

email sesow@sesow.com to reserve/ask about purchasing. please include url and description.


(click image for 31 Days in July 2006)


(click image for 31 Days in July 2005)


(click image for press/interviews/pics from shows)


(click image for press/interviews/pics from shows)


All images and paintings copyright Matt Sesow.

CLICK HERE FOR 31 DAYS IN JULY, 2003...

CLICK HERE FOR 31 DAYS IN JULY, 2004...

CLICK HERE FOR 31 DAYS IN JULY, 2005...

CLICK HERE FOR 31 DAYS IN JULY, 2006...

CLICK HERE FOR 31 DAYS IN JULY, 2007...

CLICK HERE FOR 31 DAYS IN JULY, 2009...

CLICK HERE FOR 31 DAYS IN JULY, 2010...

CLICK HERE FOR 31 DAYS IN JULY, 2011...

*In 2008, Sesow and Ellyn painted during the month of July in China CLICK HERE FOR MORE ABOUT 2008 JULY IN CHINA

The "31 Days in July" project was conceived and launched in July 2003 by Washington, DC artists Matt Sesow and Dana Ellyn. Inspired by the March 20, 2003 invasion of Iraq by the United States, Sesow and Ellyn wanted to immerse themselves in a project that would not only emphasize their dedication to painting but also help entice them to document the historical events taking place within their lifespan. They decided to commemorate each month of July by creating paintings about the news of the day. The 31 paintings are created and completed in Washington, DC.

Each day, during the month of July, Sesow and Ellyn awake to pour through the morning news looking for inspiration to guide the day’s painting. Each painting must be started on the day it was inspired. At the end of July, at midnight, all 31 paintings are completed.

During the first seven years of the project, Sesow and Ellyn limited themselves to using the front page print edition of the Washington Post as their guide. Beginning in 2011, the artists decided that the print edition of the Washington Post no longer adequately covers the important news in a timely fashion and oftentimes diverts reader focus to trivial fluff. The artists now scour a multitude of references including domestic and international sources ( such as Democracy Now, Al Jazeera, RT, and the Guardian ). Emphasis being on “historical importance” and the political influence enacted by Washington, DC on world events. They will look to what was, and what wasn’t covered by mainstream media, to provide inspiration.

This project occurs each year during the month of July. Results will be posted here on sesow.com and are usually available for sale to collectors and galleries.