Traci Temple is a representational and figurative artist living in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina. Her current paintings are a portrayal of people, animals, narratives, and the things we interact within our daily lives.
While growing up in northern Connecticut, Traci developed a passion for drawing the human form and objects from nature. She earned a Bachelor of Science in the highly competitive Medical Illustration program at The Ohio State University. While illustrating the Vascular Flora of Ohio, Volume IV, Traci began studying computer animation and interactive design at the Advanced Computing Center of the Arts and Design (ACCAD) at Ohio State. It was there she discovered a passion for teaching contemporary art and music using new media technology while earning a Master of Arts in Visual Communication Design, and her doctorate in Art Education.
Traci returned to working with traditional media—an interaction that creates a unique intimacy between the artist, subject, and technique, and the painting and viewer—after moving to North Carolina. Her illustration training is evident in her work as she captures small details of everyday objects and the unique essence of her subjects. Her interest in nostalgia and the vernacular is seen in her works, which are portrayed using a keen sense for color and light to evoke expression and presence.
Traci is also a highly skilled pen and ink artist. Her technique preserves the unique lines and textures that can only be created by the pen. She shares her knowledge and skills with undergraduate and graduate students in the College of Design at North Carolina State University where she holds an adjunct assistant professor position.