Matthew was born in Evanston, Illinois. He began his formal art education at the American Academy of Art in Chicago at the age of 18. He graduated with honors in 2001, receiving a BFA in oil painting. His desire for deeper understanding of classical methods led him to The Florence Academy of Art and he soon moved to Italy in order to further his training. At the FAA, he was made an assistant instructor in the Intensive Drawing Program and received a certificate in painting in 2005. He became involved in the summer program there and taught figure painting in Florence until 2007. Later that same year, Matthew returned to Chicago and founded the Ravenswood Atelier. Matt has been working as a painter for over 10 years. He has won many awards including: Best Painting of the Year at The Florence Academy of Art in 2005, 1st place award in the portrait/figure category in the annual competition of International Artist Magazine in 2007, 3rd place in the annual competition of The Artist Magazine in 2007, and honorable mention in Salon International juried exhibition in San Antonio, TX in 2008. He has had several one-man shows and has participated in several group shows. His work can be found in collections world-wide. Matthew exhibits regularly in Florence at the annual alumni exhibition of the Florence Academy of Art, at the W.H Patterson Gallery in London, at Brigham Galleries in Nantucket, and recently Hildt Galleries Chicago, IL..

Magdalena was born and raised in Poland and moved to Chicago at the age of 15. Inspired as a teen by her gifted father, she soon decided to pursue painting and enrolled at the American Academy of Art in Chicago. She graduated valedictorian in 2002 with a BFA in oil painting. She became a student at the Florence Academy of Art a year later. She was made an assistant instructor in the Intensive Drawing Program half way through her stay and completed the full painting course in 2005. She taught portrait painting in the summer program of the Florence Academy of Art for the following two years. Magdalena returned to Chicago in 2006 and co-founded the Ravenswood Atelier where she now works and teaches. Her awards include the winning prize in the annual student competition of the American Society of Illustrators in 2001, Best in Show at the annual student competition of the American Academy of Art in 2002, Best Drawing of the Year at the Florence Academy of Art in 2004, Best Painting of the Year at the Florence Academy of Art in 2006, finalist in the annual competition of The International Artist Magazine in 2007, and again finalist in the annual competition of the American Artist Magazine in 2007. Magdalena exhibits regularly at the annual alumni show of the FAA in Florence and at the W.H Patterson gallery in London and Hildt Galleries in Chicago, IL.