Striking Animals Portraits By Carol Gillan

Carol Gillan specializes in oil paintings of wildlife, farm animals, and pets. Her portraits highlight the individual character and personality of the animal; the background of the image is done with a solid background color, to put the spotlight on the animal.

“It’s my aim to bring the viewer face to face with a living, breathing animal, to make you smile as co-conspirators, want to ruffle their hair, laugh or take them home!” Carol Gillan wrote on her website.

Gillan paints thin layers on the canvas to build up the image, resulting in a lifelike representation of the subject. “She employs the medium of oil because it adds depth to each image, enabling her to portray the texture of an animals coat, the shadows of its muscle tone, and especially its personality, humor which she believes can be conveyed through the expression in its eyes.”

Her striking animal portraits have been exhibited across the UK, Australia, and Europe. She was awarded first place in the DeMontfort New Artist competition and her work has been licensed worldwide.

Check out some of her amazing oil paintings below.