Carleen Ross

Carleen resides in Sherwood Park, Alberta and spends time at her family vineyard in Edgewood, British Columbia. Her work is seen as being full of colour, as she creates paintings to illustrate to others how she sees the world around her. Her work can be seen across Canada; Kentucky, California, Florida, Kansas, New Jersey, Hawaii, and Washington in the United States; in Verona, Italy and in Portugal.

Carleen finds that there is a peaceful beauty to the green sea turtle. While there are several types of sea turtles found in our oceans today, the green sea turtle has always been the main focus in her artwork. In the beginning, it was the colours that she could see play off of green sea turtles shell that captivated her, but as time went on and she learned more about them and she came to admire the animal itself.

While she holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, with a strong focus in animal behaviour, she uses this education to raise awareness about green sea turtles. Carleen uses her art and education to help with conservations efforts, and she donates profits from her limited edition art prints to help protect these endangered animals. Through her artwork she works with the Turtle Island and Restoration Network, from California and the Malama na Honu, from Hawaii who are dedicated to protect the green sea turtle. In 2018, she made a partnership to work with the Canadian Sea Turtle Organization to expand her work to include the Leatherback sea turtle. 

Carleen raises awareness and conveys facts of the green sea turtle and provides give meaningful insight to each of the pieces illustrating the fragility and strengths of the human spirit.

Carleen Ross Artist Statement

“Every time I sit down at the easel I am not only creating a beautiful painting. I go through a spiritual cleansing as well. When the painting becomes a challenge I’m filled with self defeating thoughts and emotions. I’m incompetent. I’m lacking in skill. What am I doing? Do you really think that you are capable of creating art?

I realize that this is the little self talking. My ego. It is trying to give me feelings of inadequacy so that I give up and believe something other than the truth. The truth, that I am capable of accomplishing anything I put my mind to. The truth, that I am where I am supposed to be. By finding this truth within myself and facing my fears and stand up to my little self, I can create something beautiful for others to see. It is this beauty that others look upon that helped me find the internal peace and the ability to see more of the beauty that exists within myself.

With each painting I try to share the world as I see it; a world of endless colour and beauty. If we could all see the beauty in life around us we may find that we may carry a slower pace as we carry out our daily routines. As we would want to be in the presence of this beauty as long as possible, versus hurrying to the next task.

I hope you enjoy the work I am blessed to able to create!”

— Carleen Ross