"I am often speechless at how color and shape come together so perfectly in nature.  I simply love the earth, from the sandy delicate deserts, to the moss covered woods, to the great fields of tall grass, to the swampy inlets. I love it all. I also love the people whose paths crossed mine, for brief and lengthy times. You make the planet a better place, and I thank you for sharing this beautiful earth with me.  I thank you for your inspiration.  Art is something I have been creating since I was able to move color on a blank white sheet of paper.  I am a self taught artist, born and raised in Maine.  Much of my adult life has been spent in the rich and thriving art world of Santa Fe, New Mexico, and I have been greatly influenced by Spanish American and Native American Art styles.  Today my subjects are often animals and nature in fantastical combinations.  My favorite mediums are pen and ink, and oil. Sometimes I like to paint with gouache and  then accent with India ink.  I use a quill pen to create different thickness of lines, and a brush to cover more ground with black ink.  Art fills me with joy; it is something that I simply need to create.  I have taught art to children, and I use my work to support community events and nonprofits.  I also design graphics for businesses and create commissioned art in the style of representational paintings. I invite you to enjoy the stories my art has to tell."Email: mattierosetempleton@gmail.com