Carol Arnold was first inspired to become a painter when, as a child, she became fascinated by the plein air painters her family encountered on vacations in seaside Gloucester, Massachusetts. After graduating from Vesper George School of Art in Boston, Arnold spent several years working in the commercial art field before turning her attention fully to fine art painting. She is a member of Richard Schmid and Nancy Guzik's Putney Painters located in Putney, Vermont. Arnold's work, executed primarily from life, has been steadily winning recognition, including taking the First Honor award at the Inspiring Figures Exhibition at the Butler Institute of American Art in October of 2010. She won an Honorable Mention at the Portrait Society of America's Members only competition in December of 2010. In April of 2011, she was awarded a Certificate of Excellence at the Portrait Society of America's International Portrait Competition and another Certificate of Excellence award in May of 2012. In 2015 and 2016 Carol was a part of the faculty for the Portrait Society's annual conference where she taught a figure drawing workshop with Max Ginsburg. She was juried into the first annual Cape Ann Plein Air Event held in Cape Ann, Massachusetts where she spent an inspiring week painting on the shores of Gloucester, Rockport, Manchester by the Sea and Essex, with 40 other plein air painters.

AWARDS
2024 Impressionist Award of Excellence in the Oil Painters of America, Eastern Regional Exhibition

2019 First Prize, Small Stones Fine Art competition. Finalist award, Boldbrush painting competition
2018 Honorable mention at the International ARC Salon Competition
2016 First prize at the Laumeister Fine Art competition at the Bennington Center for the Arts.
2013 Southwest Art Magazine Award of Excellence at the American Women Artists National Juried Competition
Second place award at the Blackstone Valley Plein Air Festival
Finalist award at the Art Renewal Center Salon Competitio
Finalist award at the Raymar art competition, February
2012 Certificate of Excellence award at the Portrait Society of America's International Portrait Competition
Finalist award at the Raymar art competition
Best of Show award at the Raymar art competition
2011 Certificate of Excellence award at the Portrait Society of America's International Portrait Competition
Allied Artists of America award at the Salmagundi Art Club
Finalist award at the Bold Brush online competition
Second Place at the Bold Brush online competition
2010 Honorable Mention at the Portrait Society of America's Members only competition
First Honor Award at the Inspiring Figures Exhibition at the Butler Institute of American Art