Initially bred as a gun dog, Golden Retrievers were bred to have soft mouths so as to bring back their prey undamaged. A love of water, and a gentle nature characterize their personalities.

From: http://www.collect-art.com

Having studied art in Brighton, Carol Gillian loves to use oil paintings for her animal portraits. Often, she will stop dog walkers to get a photograph of their pets to use in her pictures.

In 2006, she won the DeMontfort New Artist competition. She likes to paint her subjects in such way that the viewer is engaged with the animal, and feels a response.