Meet Jeff Mathias
Jeff is an artist, maritime industry professional, and long-time resident of Tilghman Island, Maryland, where he balances family life and his creative work at the Wharf Road art studio.
Jeff earned a BFA from Belhaven College in Jackson, Mississippi, where he studied under the renowned artist and educator Dr. Jon Whittington. His formal training included art history, figure drawing, painting, printmaking, three-dimensional design, and fine art photography.
After graduation, Jeff set out to restore a 32-foot wooden sailboat (circa 1949) on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay. Initially planning only a short stay to complete repairs before sailing south, he instead found a home on Tilghman Island, where he built his career, fell in love, and raised a family.
As a master captain and light-commercial diver, Jeff has spent much of his life in, on, and under the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. His deep connection to the water is reflected in his artwork, which spans multiple mediums, including graphite drawings, photography, and sculpture.
His sculptural work is dedicated to the study of the Eastern Oyster shell, with hand-built pieces crafted in domestic porcelain—some represented in massive scale
Sculpture Gallery