Painter of Portals
My name is Matthew Ho. I am a watercolor painter based in Harpswell Maine, and I am the maker of painted portals. Each layer of a painted portal is painted by hand, printed to true scale, then cut with precision in my workshop. Painted portals are made of 100% cotton museum quality paper and come with assembly instructions.
You can display these scenes on a bookshelf, desk, or anywhere you’d like a portal to another world.
Ash Cove
$52
August, 2024
6” x 4” x 5”
Ash Cove was the first painted portal I made, and what was intended to be a simple proof of concept turned out to be a fan favorite that I still print today. The scene depicts the view from a garden that I visit frequently. I tried to capture the overwhelming peacefulness felt here. At the time of making this, I had been painting for 2 months. Needless to say, this painted portal means a lot to me personally.
Portland, ME
$48
6” x 4” x 5”
December, 2024
This scene depicts the old port in Portland, and it took an entire month to plan and paint. I wanted to capture the nostalgic feeling of an old port city, with cobblestones and mansard roofs in the front, and boats against blue sky in the back. On the left side of the second layer, there is the Maine Potter’s Market. That is the first location I started selling painted portals, and I am forever grateful to them.
Portland Head Light
$42
6” x 4” x 5”
February, 2025
The Portland Head Light painted portal is by far my best seller, as it is a famous tourist spot. By this point of my painting career, I began developing a process for making painted portals. This includes value studies, color studies, and even digital 3D mockups. For this particular scene, I tried to capture how cold and harsh the winter sea could be.
Penobscot Peak
$32
6” x 4” x 3”
August, 2025
I visited Acadia for the first time with my family in the summer of 2025, and the trip resulted in my next painted portal. I remember being shocked at how pink and purple the rocks looked, and I tried to capture that look in my painting. Penobscot Peak was my experiment with making a more affordable piece. With only 4 layers, the material cost and labor time were significantly reduced.
The Cribstone Bridge
$120
February, 2026
9” x 6” x 8”
My mother’s only critique of my painted portals was she wanted them printed larger. But out of stubbornness, I refuse to print any of my art off true scale. And so I set off to paint larger. This scene depicts an iconic bridge in Maine, set behind a pier winding down for the day. It is the only remaining cribstone bridge in the world. This painted portal is more than double the surface area of the others, and thus fits in even more detail. At this size, I began experimenting with multiple viewing ports to highlight unique perspectives. The entire project took about two months to create.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I display a painted portal?
I recommend displaying painted portals on any flat surface that is about eye level. Bookshelves, mantels, and desks are great locations. Painted portals work best with soft lighting. Direct sunlight is not recommended, as the frequent fluctuation in temperature will cause the cotton paper to become flaccid. Painted Portals do not collect dust, as all the paper stands vertically.
How are painted portals assembled?
Each painted portal comes with with two slatted paper stands which fix themselves to every painted layer. Once assembled, the stands will curve for structural integrity. Assembly takes only a few minutes and a bit of dexterity.
Fun fact: I designed this assembly method myself. My father, an engineer thought it was so clever he filed a patent for it in my name.
What inspired painted portals?
Painted portals are inspired by tunnel books, a type of artist book dating back to the mid 18th century, inspired by theater sets. I fell in love with tunnel books when I learned about them in art school, and was always disappointed by how rare they were in museums. Painted portals are my modern revival of tunnel books. The only real innovation I added is the assembly method.
I do not sell original painted portals. Though watercolor is beautiful, it is quite light sensitive. Therefore my originals are scanned at the highest quality, then stored away never to see the light. I truly believe watercolor is a medium most effectively enjoyed printed.
Do you sell originals?
Can I order painted portals online?
Yes! If you would like me to ship you painted portals, contact me via email.
I was born and raised in the Silicon Valley and studied graphic design at the Rhode Island School of Design. I worked as a motion graphics animator in New York for about 5 years. In 2024, my partner and I decided the city wasn’t for us and we moved back to Maine, where she grew up. That summer I started teaching myself to paint.