Mattie Rose is a self-taught artist, born and raised in rural Maine. As a child, she had a plethora of illustrated children's books at her fingertips. Mattie Rose and her three siblings were homeschooled and the family lived off grid. This alternative lifestyle was the foundation for the blooming of her vivid imagination. Much of her adult life has been spent in the rich and thriving art world of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Mattie Rose's work has been greatly influenced by Spanish American and Native American art styles.
She is inspired by the living and natural world that surrounds us all. Through art, she explores our connection to nature, including the undeniable fragility that is found there. And the importance for us to protect it. Art, since the beginning, has been a way to record history through visual storytelling. Mattie Rose attempts to produce art that moves the viewer beyond the piece itself, and into that storytelling place.