November 2025 - Carole Holcroft

Carole writes: Having retired from the business world and my small business coaching practice, I am blessed to be able to continue to explore my creative side.

Born in Cheshire in the United Kingdom, and educated at North Cheshire College, I have been a resident of Merrimac Massachusetts for 30+ years. My tribute to Manchester located in the tab above, will give you a small insight into my personal story and background, whilst paying my own tribute to the people killed and hurt in the terrorist attack in Manchester in 2017.

I’ve always had a passion for color and all the richness that it brings to texture and dimension, which is why I choose to work individually, or collectively with watercolor, pastel, acrylic and mixed media. Each medium brings its own delight to the creativity process; each enables harmony and balance through its unique values and the various shapes I can create.

I’m inspired by, and enjoy the process of experimentation, so I typically have no set plan before I start. It's the organic shapes and colors in nature which help blend my thoughts and feelings, together with memories of times gone by that help bring a sense of grounding to a painting. That freedom allows me to continuously create a piece until I attain a place of unexpected repose knowing that I have reached both completion and satisfaction. Creating a piece of work intuitively, either whimsical, imaginary or intentional is exciting! Occasionally, I will use an image or photograph as a reference point, but I feel at my most creative when there is no image to copy. It's very much a soulful process, that develops from a rich tapestry of events in my life and how I have chosen to interpret them. I paint what I feel and not necessarily what I see.

All available work has been created to be enjoyed in homes or office spaces. I am honored to have painted commissions representing special moments and memories for friends and family members both nationally and internationally.

My paintings have been accepted into national, regional and local juried and non-juried shows. I am the proud recipient of awards including, Best In Show, Excellence In Any Media, Best In Pastel, and Honorable Mentions.