As a child, Carleton McCambridge was fascinated by the illustrations in the Scribner Classics. Inspired by the illustrators, like N.C. Wyeth, these drawings were filled with the allure of western landscapes and its Native cultures. Carleton writes: “I focus my painting on capturing beauty in form and color. Whether my subject is an animal, still life, person or place, my intent is to give the viewer a sense of harmony and peace. My art does not shock or challenge; instead it is the manifestation of my appreciation for the Creator’s gifts.
Carleton McCambridge’s life long dream is to paint and be recognized as a Western Artist. He is diversified in his subject matter from portraits and landscapes to still life and wildlife.
Formal training for Carleton includes a degree in Art History from the University of Minnesota. He has attended oil painting classes at five premier art schools in the Minneapolis area.
Carleton and his wife, Liz, reside both in Minneapolis and the mountains southwest of Bozeman, Montana, in a home he designed. He has participated in many exhibitions in both areas.
Carleton shared some remarks upon receiving the First Place award for Seeing God with the audience gathered on a snowy evening in January, 2026. He described his painting, I Will Carry You: “My favorite complement is that blue and orange… your eye likes complementary colors. I’ve been painting for a few years. When I do a portrait, it becomes an intimate thing. I wake up every day and look at it and think, there is more to see. When I paint an animal, I start smiling. Liz and I have a home out by Yellowstone Park in Montana, so I love to paint animals. When I paint something of a religious nature, it becomes a prayer. This painting was a prayer.”
Carleton has always been a spiritual artist, and has created lasting artwork of sacred and religious images.
“Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.”
Gabriel first spoke these words to young Mary. Three decades later, at the end of His life, Jesus looked down from the cross and said to John, “Behold thy mother,” and Mary became the mother to all of us.
The “Hail Mary” prayer has always been especially meaningful to Carleton during times of hardship. As an equipment technician at a large hospital for thirty-four years, he often found himself asking Mary to come to the aid of patients and their families. “Asking Mary for help gave comfort, reassurance, and courage to continue on when all seemed lost and grief was mounting. What is never lost is hope and love. Painting this portrait felt to me like a prayer, an offering, an exercise in love. It gave me a sense of assurance that Mary’s love was a ‘Love for the Ages.'”
We invite you to join us for a reception on December 10, 2026 at 6:00pm to honor Carleton McCambridge and see the Monastery gallery filled with his deeply meaningful and moving images.
