Tesore, this is sad news, indeed. His last entry was in 2009. It looks like his last post was in 2019. That was the last contact I had with him. NGSP (I rarely called him Matt) was a nice guy in my experience. He never dropped nasty comments on others' entries. He offered helpful criticism. He had a healthy sense of humor.
I exchanged numerous messages with him during the Julie Clark episode. I just went to my inbox to refresh my memory on the subject. Unfortunately, the messages have all dropped off my list. I remember vividly his enthusiasm for battling Ms. Clark. And his success, celebrated by his avatar:
It just might be my all time favorite avatar.
NGSP was a good guy, but he was also a very good chopper:
http://photoshopcontest.com/view-entry/140505/tricked-57.html
The image referenced above kicked my butt in the Gunvor Maersk contest back in June 2008. He came in first in a field of 50 entries. Here is his comment to the runner up: "congrats on the 2nd this was a very close race and an honor to compete w/ you
" His portfolio is definitely worth a look.
I always hoped he would come back and chop. Now he never will. I never met the man, so why is it I feel like I've lost an old friend?
.