Mary Beth Banta grew up in Pennsylvania in a home brimming with siblings and creativity. Language and visual arts studies took her to France where she completed her B.A. in French and Fine Arts with Vanderbilt in France. After earning an M.A.T. at Vanderbilt, she moved to Colorado where her fascination with world languages and cultures continues.

She writes and illustrates children’s books, and paints en plein air as much as possible. Her muse, sparked by discovery, often appears while paddling western waters, caring for the garden, or playing fiddle tunes with her husband and daughter.