Celebrating Carol Eacret Simmons: Today, on this Veterans Day — and on the birthday of my mother, I honor a woman whose life beautifully weaves together service, artistry, and family. As the daughter of an Army veteran and the devoted wife of a veteran, Carol embodies a veteran’s daughter tribute in the most authentic sense: she honors legacy not only by memory, but by living it. She paints, she teaches, she brings people together — and through her art and compassion she reminds us that service doesn’t end when the uniform is hung up. Join me in celebrating her story, her creativity, and the profound way one veteran-family life can color the world around us.
💙 Born on Veterans Day: A Legacy Rooted in Service
Her father, Army veteran Dick Eacret, embodied courage and community. Carol learned early that valor is as much about kindness as it is about sacrifice. She watched him serve, protect, and support others — lessons that shaped her own journey. For her, being a “veteran’s daughter” meant carrying forward those principles: service, respect, and responsibility.
Later, as wife to veteran Mahlon Simmons, she shared that legacy of service at home, in community, and in love.
🎨 From Canvas to Community: Creative Expressions of Service
Carol Eacret-Simmons’ love of art leads to career such that her art mirrors her purpose.
Whether in the classroom, the studio, or the garden, she teaches the art of happiness and builds connections through color and creativity.
Furthermore, she transforms simple moments into shared inspiration — proving that art is not solitary; it’s community.
Every brushstroke reflects love, legacy, and gratitude — reminding us that creativity, like service, can ripple far beyond one person.
🌼 The “Mona Lisa of the Quarantine” & Other Projects
When the world turned inward, Carol Eacret Simmons turned outward — with art that united.
Her celebrated “Mona Lisa of the Quarantine” series sparked smiles, hope, and conversation around the world.
Through each piece, she invited others to express, connect, and heal.
Autumn Bliss
Rooted in the quiet beauty of the American Midwest, Autumn Bliss reflects Carol Eacret Simmons’ lifelong appreciation for the rhythms of nature that shaped her artistry and her outlook on life. Inspired by the changing seasons, open skies, and endless fields of her Midwestern home, this work embodies the artist’s belief that nature is both teacher and muse.
Part of her acclaimed Circle Series, each piece is an abstracted exploration of connection — between light and landscape, color and emotion, memory and meaning. Through layered mixed media on a three-dimensional convex canvas (12″ diameter × 1″ depth), Carol translates the warmth of fall light, the whisper of wind through grass, and the serenity of rural horizons into visual harmony.
Every work in the series is hand-painted, signed, and dated by the artist, capturing her intimate dialogue with nature and her Midwestern heritage. This one of my favorites from her online gallery which is managed by Carol’s granddaughter, an artist continuing the family’s legacy of creativity and connection through art.
Other Celebrating Carol Eacret Simmons Resources:
- Be special, be anything but mediocre
- Carol Eacret-Simmons | Artist | Artfacts
- CarolEacretSimmons – Etsy
- Eacret-Simmons’ love of art leads to career
- Eacret-Simmons teaches art of happiness
- Frontiers in Printmaking Exhibitions | Normal Editions | Illinois State
- Interpretations of work offered by art students
- International Museum of Collage, Assemblage and Construction
- Progressive Proof: Illinois State University Printmaking Alumni Exhibition | Illinois State
- Top Regional News: Art walk to show local talent
