Carol Gillan was born in Lancashire in 1961 and studied art in Brighton. After working as an

illustrator on a variety of projects she decided to devote herself to a career as a full time fine artist.

Now based in Surrey she paints from a studio in her home and specialises in dramatic and humorous animal portraits.

                                                                                                                                                             Ribbons n' bows

Living close to farms Carol always has a camera on hand when walking her dog to take photographs of any inquisitive cows.  She travels to County fairs for inspiration and often accosts dog walkers when she sees a dog that she would like to paint. Due to the nature of Carols's work (or rather the nature of her sitters) she makes extensive use of photographs that best capture the individual character of the animal. These allow her to achieve an informal, composed painting which is both a realistic likeness and a uniquely distinctive interpretation.

Working in oil on canvas, Carol over-paints thin layers of oils slowly building up the image, closely cropping the actual subject to maximize its impact and presenting it against a solid background of colour. She employs the medium of oil because it adds depth to each image, enabling her to portray the texture of an animal's coat, the shadows of its muscle tone, and especially its personality which she believes can be conveyed through the expression in its eyes.

Work has been exhibited widely across the UK and Europe and Carol has undertaken a variety of impressive commissions for individuals and corporations. In 2006 she was awarded first prize in the prestigious DeMontfort New Artist competition.