Mark W. Malone straddles the line between realism and fantasy with his colorful images of the splendor of the Southwest. Malone paints snow-kissed mountain ranges, miles of desert scrub under majestic mesas, and rock outcroppings blazing in the sun. He chooses views that are unmistakable in their location and atmosphere. His palettes are celebratory - bright and rich, heightened by imagination. His compositions reach far into the distance and underline the natural elements of the landscape. These paintings are love letters to the land as much as anything else. Malone’s work is greatly influenced by his travels in the Indian territories of New Mexico, Arizona and Colorado. In oil on canvas, Malone realizes the landscape as native tribes would have seen it throughout the ages, and connects that view to the way we interact with the terrain today. Textures give way to Native American-inspired pattern work. The dynamic colors emanate from red rock canyon lands and over-arching skies in the noonday sun. In Malone’s hands, the landscape is one with its people. Mark’s motive is to captivate his viewers by luring them into a place of unknown depth, which allows you to think, believe and feel that you are a part of this universe. Malone was born in Boulder, Colorado and is extremely active in the Colorado art community.