William Matthews was born in 1949 in New York City. He grew up in the Bay area. His professional career began in Los Angeles as a graphic artist designing album covers for Warner Bros., and Capitol Records.

The published monograph Cowboys & Images : The Watercolors of William Matthews features a decade of the artist's work devoted to the subject of the working cowboys from the great ranches of the American west. Forbes, FYI, magazine hailed him as the new Remington of American painting. Other areas of study are included in the following Exhibition Catalogs, Fast Horses, Ireland, Heart Land, China, The Blue Nile, and Sketches of Spain.

William Matthews paintings are widely exhibited both nationallly and internationally. His work is included in numerous private and public collections including, Buffalo Bill Historical Center, Eiteljorg Museum, Gene Autry Western Heritage Museum, The National Cowboy Hall of Fame, and the Denver Art Museum.