Today we’d like to introduce you to Ellen Carroll.
Hi Ellen, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up in a large Irish-American family with a mother who gave me the freedom to be creative. In my attic bedroom, I
spent hours covering the walls and ceilings with drawings, poetry, stories, and songs. that instinct eventually became the foundation for a career in art and design.
Today, I am an artist, award-winning interior designer, lifelong equestrian, and author-illustrator of children’s picture books living on my farm
on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. My expressive coastal, abstract, and equestrian works are collected internationally for their
movement, atmosphere, and sophisticated palette. They have found their way into homes, offices, and commercial spaces
across the country and abroad.
Working primarily in mixed media, I create original art and museum-quality fine-art reproductions that preserve the color,
detail, and visual impact of the original work. Surface pattern design has become another creative extension, with designs for
textiles, wallpaper, and home collections, many of which are available through Spoonflower.
A deep connection to art, nature, and animals—from wildlife to the horses, ponies, and dogs that share my life—continues to
inspire much of what I paint, write, and illustrate.
Children’s picture books are another important part of my creative work. As an author-illustrator, I bring the same love of
visual storytelling, imagination, humor, and character to the page and am currently seeking literary representation for my
children’s picture books.
After building a decades-long career in art and design, I’m excited to continue growing my work in fine art, licensing, surface
design, and children’s picture-book publishing.
More of my work can be seen at ellencarroll.com.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I earned my Bachelor of Arts in interior design because I wanted to build a life and career around creativity. Since then, my path has taken me through design, fine art, licensing, surface pattern work, and now writing and illustrating my beloved children’s picture books. Along the way, there have been exciting opportunities, challenges, and more than a few turns I never could have anticipated. I’ve learned to look forward rather than back and to search for the positive in every situation, because sometimes the paths we never planned to take lead us in the most meaningful directions. Each chapter has shaped my ideas, strengthened my vision, and reminded me why I love creating in the first place.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My work begins with observing—taking in the feeling, the thoughts, and the details of a moment. Whether I’m painting, writing, illustrating, or taking photographs, I’m drawn to the things that make me stop and feel something.
Ideas often come to me unexpectedly. Sometimes I’ll wake from a dream with an image or story almost completely formed. Other times I’ll be traveling and suddenly see a composition I want to photograph or paint. I’ve learned not to overthink those moments. I trust my eye and my instincts and follow where they lead.
That same curiosity carries into my children’s books. I love looking at the world with a child’s sense of possibility, where something ordinary can become funny, magical, or completely unexpected.
I also believe creativity belongs to everyone, although we don’t always give ourselves permission to discover it. I often hear people say, “Oh, I could never do that,” and I think how quickly we can close a door on ourselves simply by deciding we can’t. So much joy comes from being willing to try, to stay curious, and to trust the gifts that are already there.
What were you like growing up?
I was imaginative, determined, independent, and probably a little stubborn. I loved animals, especially horses, and when I wanted something badly enough, I was willing to work for it.
I was a sick child, and for a while that left me feeling very dependent on other people. When my parents told me I could have a pony if I earned the money myself, it gave me something wonderful to work toward. I babysat, ran little children’s camps for neighborhood families, and saved everything I earned. I’m not sure my parents completely thought through the fact that I might actually succeed!
Looking back, giving me that responsibility was one of the greatest gifts my parents ever gave me. It taught me very early that I could rely on myself when I needed to. That confidence carried into the rest of my life—raising and supporting my children, building a successful interior design and merchandising firm, and knowing that even when life changed, I could find a way forward.
Pricing:
- My art comes in fine Art paper as well as gallery wrapped canvas and rolled canvas.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Www.ellencarroll.com
- Instagram: Instagram as-ellencarrollartist
- Facebook: Facebook as-Ellencarrollartist
