Eric Holt was brought up in Surrey, where he first started to work as a painter in Purley. He began his artistic training at the Epsom and Ewell School of Art in 1959, and later attended the Wimbledon School of Art for a brief time before leaving to focus on painting independently. Throughout his career, Holt worked in numerous jobs before freelancing as an antiques restorer and glass painter. He exhibited with the Royal British Society of Artists and the Royal Academy, which attracted the attention of many dealers and critics. He exhibited often throughout his career, and enjoyed significant solo exhibitions with the Maltzahn Gallery, London.