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 artists 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. In 2007, a second book "Working the West" was published by Chronicle Books and shows 200 images from William Matthews paintings and forewarded with an essay by Annie Proulx.

Other publications include- "Scotland; The Highlands and Islands (2003); A Wet Line: Fly Fishing on the Rivers of North America (2002); Land of the Rajput (2001); Buckaroos of the Great Basin (2000); Fast Horses (1999); Ireland (1997); Heartland: Watercolors of the Amish and Mennonite and Shaker Villages (1996); China (1995); The Blue Nile (1993); and Sketches of Spain (1992).

William Matthews paintings are widely exhibited both nationally 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, t Denver Art Museum, Phoenix Art Museum and Warner Western Records, Nashville.