📌 The ARTIST Carroll™" refers to the distinctive portfolio of an expressive watercolorist. His art hobby was launched by death. It became a career of the joy of life and living.

He is a wordsmith who loves poetry and humor.

SOME ROADSIDE WEEDS, PURPLE THISTLES,

LAUNCHED HIS WATERCOLOR CAREER

"A millionaire city councilman figured I'd receive $221+(m). A second agreed --- a rude awakening I didn't want to believe. I never made donations with an ROI in mind. I just wanted to help. Then, an art VP Sales, who'd put $110 (m) in his artist's pocket in a year, told me I should sell my watercolors - Beyond the means of mere mortals. Another wholeheartedly agreed. I wrestled with the correction for 18 years.

Many Passionate Teachers

"#1 Kathie Dugas, 7th-Grade teacher at General Wayne JHS (GVSD). An interior decorator redecorated her office around 40+ of my originals and brought the bride of her #1 client to see the collection; Her friend bought my art!!! as did a PGA & Open champion's bride and a Big Pharma heiress and a booze king's daughter. Arts patron Mrs. Kitsy Westmoreland had her son take her picture with me at a black tie aboard the Queen Mary, amidst 40 MOHs, where a Knight Commander, Knights of Malta, who reported to the Pope, invited me to join his cadre of Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter, Soviet/Russian Gorbachev and South American heads of state. A Quarter horse-loving petroleum heiress, married to a Hall of Fame cowboy and NFL player paid my way to study under Sr. Alcaraz in Europe with the proviso that she got the first dibs when I returned to DFW - Ebby Halliday introduced me to Mary Kay Ash, two weeks before Mary Kay had a crippling stroke and keynoted at Dallas Convention Center to her 40,000 sales representatives. Go figure, I did not take a graduate school entrance exam, BUT I left a Master's program (Entomology at UGA), a Doctoral program (Ecology at DE), and two MBA programs in Texas with class leading A's. (The 2nd was at the University of Texas-Dallas, UT-D) I enjoy grazing in research libraries! I gave over 500 keynotes in the first year when I returned to Dallas, Texas from Castilian Spain. A Colonial Brazilian heiress arranged my painting studies with the famed European, Don Francisco Alcaraz, prodigy artist who refused any compensation - He just wanted to refine my artistry. Toastmaster Pauline Shirley, DTM, DG in what became the world #1-ranked district, and later a HOF PIP had coached me - I rec'd a salutary note from George H.W. Bush, the White House, Wash., D.C. when I was named 'Rookie of the Year'. I am a Rotary Paul Harris Fellow and received a surprise Sigma Xi research stipend for what became my undergrad Mayfly Honor's Thesis, made so entirely by my Biology Professor Dr. Myron Anderson. Academy of Natural Sciences mayfly expert Jay Richardson created superb opportunities for me.

CARROLL'S FAMILY HISTORY

"My family name is probably Norwegian, Burgundian, in origin.

They conquered most of Europe. Today, the Kingdom of the Burgunds has shrunk to Burgundy, France and Switzerland. In 1740, Johannes Jacobus Burgund left Burgundy, France, boarded the Lydia and sailed to Baltimore, Maryland as John Jacob Burgoon. He headed west and settled in what became Carroll County, MD, named for the last living signer of the Declaration of Independence. One son enlisted with General George Washington. I don't know if he encamped in the fields on Rebel Hill, where we lived before moving to Chester Springs, near Valley Forge (NP) - A resort town where Washington's Army hospital was located. One son moved to Fort Worth, Texas from Burgoonville, Ohio. Shortly after, his son moved to Denton, Texas. Burgoon's fought in every American war except the Texas War for Independence from Mexico; Pennsylvanians perished at the Alamo. I moved west to Richardson, Texas on June 4, 1984. My next-door neighbor was the lead scientist on Star Wars, a MENSA president with a 220 IQ and married a quilter, poet/author and former Aussie school teacher. Paul could read a complex 4,000-page book in an hour and tell you verbatim what was on any line and any page. They were wordsmiths, happy and mountains of fun.

CARROLL'S IMMEDIATE FAMILY

"I grew up in the 1751 fieldstone mansion on the road from Valley Forge to Gen Washington's Continental Army hospital. My doctor dad had been a front page running back and 440 runner in high school and in the Third Tide on Dog Green, the deadliest beach on D-Day. (I ran a 4:08 mile and a 31:57 10k, for 22nd! I was a much better sprint bicyclist on the banked track and was Alternate to U.S. Nationals as a newbie Cat 3 bike racer). I imagine he was cursed triaging amidst moans and cries for help, and charred, smoldering bodies, sticky blood soaking his clothes and death filling his nostrils. He said he felt like a 'Stupid, worthless bastard' on the battlefield. Poppy deployed as chief medical officer on APD-78, USS Bull, in the Philippines, Iwo Jima and Okinawa, strategic Japanese islands. Pop was sought by Hall of Fame pro athletes, other doctors, the world's richest, and blue-collar workers. He was a humble man. 90 to 140 patients six days a week sat for 2 to 3 hours in his waiting room just to be seen by him.

Pop thoroughly enjoyed what he termed,

'The fine art of medicine'.

The family that built the Brooklyn Bridge built a specialty hospital for him. We set up the first licensed equestrian center in Pennsylvania - An Olympic Gold Medalist was first headmaster - My PBK mom daily took me to the Academy of Natural Sciences where I was a Junior Curator as a 5 y/o. Pop's office had stacks of JAMA, JAAD, Antiques, Tennis, Nature, Audubon, Outside, Scientific American, etc., etc. He volunteered at CVIM, did 100 pushups every morning and 'opened' the indoor tennis courts at 0530 until a fall resulted in death at 91. The man had no 'Go slow' switch and always raced Eau Rouge (The most dangerous corner in F1). He drove a souped up, little red sports car - And rolled two Tigers in Valley Forge - While thoughtfully smoking his hand carved, Meerschaum pipe!" [Carroll's dad was like George Patton;

The watercolor artist, Carroll, thrills to innovation.]

"My dad demanded flawless excellence AND expected immediate virtuosity. Everything had to be done First Rate with the perfection of Messi, Federer, Hamilton, Jordan,

Adolfo Cambiaso, Picasso and Vincent van Gogh". 

"Otra vez". "Again". (Do it again and again)

- Don Fco. "Paco" Alcaraz

Carroll's favorite film is Miracle (2004, produced by Mark Ciardi, et al. One mentor was Ciardi's Brewers pitcher sinker-slider teammate.) Carroll wore thirteen pairs of Waffle Racers annually, changing to a new pair every 250 miles, and wore Nikes in Spain when he studied with the prodigy artist Alcaraz.

The daily the temp soared from 3-4°C overnight to 37°C by midafternoon. Since then, I moved to a popular tourist, cool, rainy, snowy maritime climate with a plethora of wildlife.

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« Je vois et je peins ce que les autres ne voient pas. »

Norwegian: "Jeg ser og maler det andre ikke ser".