Published in Stroll Magazine

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Strolling with Carol Simon

“Stay Happy and Be Positive” is the mantra that artist and Hunters Creek resident Carol Simon lives by and incorporates into her art practice. Carol and her husband, Ken, and their two daughters, Lauren, 30, and Stephanie, 29, moved to Hunters Creek Village almost 20 years ago from West University to be closer to friends and the lush green space one experiences in Hunters Creek Village. Additionally, Ken grew up in the area, attended Hunters Creek Elementary and wanted his girls to get that same nurturing experience.  

Over the years, the family experienced lots of life transitions, but the most profound change happened to Carol when her girls went off to college. Like many women, when their children leave the nest, Carol was feeling lost without a purpose. After lots of reflection, she decided to get certified as a life coach.  “I wanted to make a difference in women’s lives, those going through life transitions,” shared Carol. During this same time, a good friend suggested taking a painting class together for fun, and since she already loved photography, jewelry making and creating; she figured she might also like painting.

During her life coach training, Carol learned that being positive and happy were the keys to a more fulfilling life. The final project before she got certified was to create a vision board of what her life coaching practice would look like. Carol decided to paint her vision board with expressive and vivid colors and realized that expressive painting was giving her the well-being and joy she needed.  

“Ironically, I ended up life coaching myself into realizing I wanted to be a full-time professional painter,” laughed Carol. “I was interested in life coaching because I wanted to help others find what they wanted … to help them find happiness and joy in their lives … and I found it myself!  My artistic path is bringing happiness and positivity to the world. This is the motivation in every piece I create because I believe you attract what you radiate.”

Carol’s process is best known as abstract expressionism, which requires minimal planning and lets her mood and intuition guide the vivid colors and styles in her art.

“I love experimenting with different media and substrates, but all my work explodes with bright color, creating a cohesive body of work,” said Carol.  “It’s on the conceptual level, though, where the hidden power may be found, and ensures that the art is never static as it turns on itself and then expands outward.  As I learned from my life coaching experiences, what you see depends on where you are in life and where you stand in the room.”

Always looking for ways to spread and give gratitude, Carol created a large-scale outdoor art installation in the First Ward in 2015.  Her “First Ward is Blooming” art installation encompasses 10,000 upcycled water bottles attached to a chain link fence to beautify the neighborhood. Over a two-year period, Carol partnered with members of the Houston community to collect the bottles and create the art installation while also providing an opportunity to educate the community on the environmental impact of plastic trash. Volunteers of all ages and from all parts of the city joined together to work on the installation, including bringing the installation to parks and art festivals to get everyone involved.

If you don’t find Carol at her art studio in Sawyer Yards, you will likely find her walking her two dogs, Piper and Lexie, down Roaring Brook Lane.  You can also look for her and Ken at their second home in Rosemary Beach, FL. There, they find peace and tranquility that allows them to reset and be inspired. It keeps them happy and positive in all the transitions that life brings their way.

To see more of Carol’s work, visit www.carolsimonstudio.com, or better yet, drop in on your neighbor at 1502 Sawyer St., Suite 207, at the Silos in Sawyer Yards.