CARRIE BALLANTYNE

About this artist

“It has been very rewarding to portray people in my artwork that I admire and respect. I’ve been very fortunate to live in a time and place that has allowed me the opportunity to pursue this God-given interest.”

Best known for her western portraits, Carrie (Fogwell) Ballantyne grew up in southern California and began drawing as a child. Art was always a passion but never pursued as a profession. In her late teens, she moved to Wyoming to work on a dude ranch and for big game outfitters. It was during this time that she began to realize art as a profession was a real possibility. In 1981, Ballantyne entered her first juried art show, won first place in drawing, and never looked back.

For many decades now, Carrie has been portraying the people around her in the western lifestyle she loves—young and old, male and female. She works in several mediums: graphite pencil, colored pencil, conte, charcoal, and oil paint. “I strive to paint souls, not just faces.“

Ballantyne’s work has been featured in numerous periodicals, art shows, and museums. She is the fortunate recipient of many awards as well as museum acquisitions. She has been in the Prix de West Show in Oklahoma for 24 years.

It’s the individual art collectors that she most values – “The ever-encouraging, supportive, and generous art collectors have graciously allowed me to pursue my life’s work, and for that, I am forever thankful.” – Carrie Ballantyne