(L-R) Wolf Watch, Mule Deer by Vivian C Olsen)
“I paint what I love, ‘Animals’ — they give me a sense of peace and joy and constantly inspire me as an artist. My goal in creating paintings of animals is to present them as nature’s gifts and to show how they benefit our lives.
Wild or tame, I love to paint wildlife of all kinds using watercolor, pastel, or oil. To accurately portray my elusive subjects, I use multiple photographs as reference for preliminary drawings and anatomy studies. I then create my paintings with bright, flowing watercolors, and when I crave the bolder touch, I use oil on canvas. My goal is to show that each animal is unique—no two look exactly alike, even Quail!
The subjects of my artwork range from shy quail families and dramatic owls to elegant wolves and howling coyotes — these are only a few that I love! While painting scenes with birds and mammals I become wrapped up in the art I’m creating, and I hope those joyful feelings are mirrored in my paintings and are passed on to viewers.”
Vivian Olsen is a professional wildlife artist who lives in Redmond. She began her art career working for Hallmark Cards in Missouri. She then worked as a freelance wildlife illustrator for South Dakota Fish and Game Department and the University of Idaho Wildlife Research Unit. After earning a bachelor of arts and a master of science-biology at New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, she became an art teacher at Socorro High School in New Mexico, where she taught for 18 years.
Vivian holds several professional art memberships including: the High Desert Art League, the Watercolor Society of Oregon, and the Plein Air Painters of Oregon. She is a member artist in Hood Avenue Art Gallery in Sisters where her wildlife paintings are on display.
In 2001, she and her husband both retired and moved to Oregon. Vivian continues to paint and exhibit her artwork as a professional wildlife artist in fine art galleries, juried exhibits, and art shows throughout the Northwest.