Biography
Monty Montgomery began exhibiting his work in 2002. Born and raised in Virginia, Montgomery loved black lines and bright colors at a very young age and was influenced by his mother who was a kindergarten teacher. “I started doing art really young,” Montgomery says. “Grabbing crayons and markers and trying to fill in good old-fashioned coloring books. I remember having a massive amount of coloring books and being able to sit for hours with my mom at the kitchen table trying to get each page perfect.” Montgomery’s use of “starz” in his work comes from years of sitting with his Grandfather as he pointed out constellations through the dark, small town, Virginia skies. “It was always magical listening to my Grandfather and learning about the stars”, Montgomery says. “I will always remember that feeling as a little boy and try to somehow bring it back to life in my paintings.”
Through his teenage years he discovered this visual connection was becoming more and more a substance for him to express his inner works of art. He then went on to earn his BFA from Longwood University in 1998. After taking on various design jobs in the music industry along the East Coast, he hit the road, launched http://www.cillidesigns.com and began spreading his word through clothing, paintings, poetry, stickers, and culture.
Later, Montgomery opened C.O.D. Gallery on the Downtown Mall in Charlottesville, Virginia, joined forces with the Sound of Art in New York City and then made a move to Boston, Ma. “Almost every single one of my pieces has a specific meaning to it, a vibe, a feeling or message that I want you to take in and walk away with,” Montgomery says. “I not only want to hit you with my vision of color and lines, but even more so with the message within each painting. My job is to create art that makes you feel.” Now truly focused in on his painting more than ever, in 2008 Montgomery made the move to San Diego, California where he continues to live today.