"I choose to portray country people because they are the ones who live and work around me. My marriage to a working cowboy has greatly influenced my subject matter, and, being a mother of younger children, I am naturally inclined to depict young people.

"I find great pleasure in portraying an emotion, a mood or a personality in a very simple and straightforward way - with pen and paper. Tender moments that please me, personally, typically appear in my work. Kate is a good example of this. She's already quite proficient at playing bluegrass music, so we agreed that the fiddle was an important part of her life. There's something so strong in her face, yet also something so vulnerable. I am always striving to communicate all the emotions you can see in a face, posture and other body language."

 - C. L. Ballantyne