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my story as an artist

Always follow your dream

I'm Carol Anne, a contemporary artist from the North West. This is the story of how my painting grew alongside me, from early days close to home to exhibitions from the Manchester Printworks to Rome and across the UK and Europe. Every piece is an original, made with heart and soul.

A lifetime finding my way to art

I'm an artist from the North West of England, and my love of art began in childhood. I was just five when one of my paintings was chosen for a children's exhibition at a local gallery, and my teacher told my parents she believed I had a gift.

But life took a different turn. I left school early to care for a younger sibling, and art college was never an option. For a long time I believed those creative dreams would never become real.

The painting that brought me back

For years the dream stayed hidden. I could see vivid images in my imagination but never felt able to bring them to life – until later in life, when I finally found the confidence to pick up a brush and work in oils, and everything began to flow.

My very first painting, 'My heart the child', told the story of my own life, and the response overwhelmed me. people laughed, cried and connected with it. I've painted that way ever since: telling a life, not just a likeness, in portraits of figures from Tommy Hunt to George Best and Paddy Doherty.

My Story over the years

My journey has taken me from early days close to home to exhibitions across the UK, Europe and beyond. Set out here are the years that shaped my work, and the moments, people and places that made me the artist I am today.

  • The Printworks

    A turning point came when the director of Manchester Printworks noticed my work and commissioned me to paint the Printworks itself. The finished piece won wonderful publicity and even featured on television.

  • Open Doors

    The director gave me a stall to paint and sell my work in public, and through his belief new doors began to open – hotels, jazz clubs, the Harry Potter Festival and beyond. He was a true mentor, and I’ll always be grateful for the opportunities he gave me.

  • When one door closes

    When he passed away, I feared my journey might end with him. But life had other plans. Closer to home, I painted a freehand canal mural for the community in Radcliffe – a piece rooted in the place that shaped me, which went on to be featured by ITV News. A new chapter had begun.

  • An international Audience

    It was an invitation to Rome that opened me to international audiences. After a successful application I exhibited there, then returned for a second show. My work has since found homes across the UK, Europe, America, Singapore and beyond, with features in newspapers, magazines and on television. Still painting, still exhibiting, the journey very much underway.

Commissions Welcome

Bring a place or object that matters to you to canvas. I work closely with collectors to create original oil and acrylic commissions — from first conversation to finished piece.

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