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During his childhood in Baltimore City, Maryland, Matthew Rice recalls his parents taking him to a hospital to visit a friend of the family who was suffering from a terminal illness. The woman had a profound message for him - “the worst thing you could do with your life,” she said, “is to take the gifts that God has blessed you with to the grave un-used.” Now 26, Rice has lived his life according to these words.“They will forever resonate in my mind and spirit,” he said.

Rice was a three-year starter at defensive end for Penn State, who helped to script the team’s national vindication in the fall, of 2005 through an 11-1 record and Big Ten championship season. He graduated with Bachelor of Arts degrees in Integrative Arts and African and African American Studies in 2005. In 2006 Rice was signed to the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent; however, he finished the 2006 season with the Detroit Lions. Over the summer of 2006 he played with NFL Europa with the Rhien Fire in Germany and returned to the Lions to finish up the 2007 season. Football is one part of his life, and he hopes to draw on it for a series of paintings devoted to his experiences at Penn State. But, art is his gift, too.

Now, Rice is putting his focus on painting, with the debut of his personal art business, Mateo Blu. He sees art in everything, and he hopes he can give his perspective to all audiences. “I want to expose people to different things that aren’t seen on a daily basis through my art,” he said. “The thing I love about my art is that it’s not put into a box, it’s not defined.”

Rice’s “Bluprint” painting, became the official 2005 Penn State football poster, is an example of this mission - representing the unity between the students and the players on game day in Beaver Stadium. The piece was based on the energy Rice felt before going to battle on the football field. Both limited edition and collector’s prints are available for order through this web site, www.mateoblue.com. He creates art in many mediums, though he prefers oil painting. As he strives to utilize the talent with which he has been blessed, his art remains inspired solely by his personal vision.

“I consciously choose not to study any artists,” he said. “I feel by doing so, I will alter my style and the purity of my visions. I love the fact that my talent is raw and unique. My art reflects me with no outside influences. My favorite artist’s work is seen everywhere and in everything. The artist is God. Check the sky out daily. It is an ongoing canvas that changes every day. Like the oil paint that I love, God continues to add new layers to me, making me better with each stroke.”

Rice plans to take his art and Mateo Blu to the next level, as well as, continue to develop his skills as an artist and businessman. “I don’t want to be an artist from Baltimore, an artist that used to play football, or a black artist,” Rice said. “I don’t want my art to be labeled or titled, I want it to be art. I want people to hear about it in Germany or Austria or Australia or China. I want it to have an effect on life.”