Carol Hamilton is a western woman in her heart, her art and her lifestyle. Water media, horses, open spaces and the Native Americans of the West have been her passions. Most of her work has been still life , done in mostly dry brush watercolor, while also flowing on layered glazes of color to achieve the look of age, patina and wear. She works on both paper and gesso board supports for her paintings.

Born in 1948 in Glendale, California, she began to draw and paint at an early age in classes at the Pasadena Art Museum and private lessons. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at the University of California at Irvine in 1970 and has worked at her art ever since in varied disciplines. Watercolor has been her favorite medium and she is a signature member of Watercolor West, a purely transparent group of artists. Realism and relentless dedication to a strong composition have followed her through painting many subjects, including landscapes with animals, historic citrus industry sites, and for over twenty years, into still life. The finely wrought detail of baskets, pottery and blankets of the Native cultures of the Southwest finally took over as the favored subjects of her painting in the 1980's and that influence has continued for nearly 25 years. She has been represented by the May Gallery in Scottsdale, Arizona gallery for over 20 years.

The family’s ever growing collection of artifacts is the source and substance of her subject matter, combined and recombined in different works with newly acquired pieces and ideas. She frequently paints in small sizes, enticing the viewer to come closer to feel the rich textures with their eyes. While many of her works are smaller subjects, some of the large pieces, highly detailed, take weeks to complete. Each painting is a tactile feast for the eyes.