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We at Christ-Centered Art would like to offer you the opportunity of getting to
know our artists better.
Currently we have the following trivia available for Greg Olsen.
What is Greg's favorite book?
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
What is Greg's favorite movie?
It's a Wonderful Life
What is Greg's nickname?
"Oly" (Greg writes that it must have been because of his last name,
but ever since he started painting inspirational subjects, his friends
kiddingly refer to him as "Holy Oly").
Please check back again for updates.
View a complete listing of this artist's prints by clicking the link below:
 Greg Olsen Art
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The art of Greg Olsen illuminates the soul and spirit of its subjects and uplifts the hearts
and minds of its viewers. Olsen's diverse interests are deftly demonstrated in oil paintings
that range from the realistic and historical to the whimsical. His luminous, delicate portraits
capture not only his subjects' likeness, but their spirit as well. Landscapes of scenes
from America and the world over reflect the perfect beauty of the mind's eye. As a child,
Olsen often relied on his imagination for entertainment — as an adult, his imagination
entertains us with paintings that depict the best and brightest memories of childhood.
Born in 1958, Olsen was raised in a farming community in rural Idaho. His parents,
artists themselves, recognized and encouraged his early love of drawing. Later, the
devoted tutelage of a high school teacher cemented his affinity and enhanced his
technical ability. After studying illustration at Utah State University, he was
hired as an in-house illustrator in Salt Lake City, working on anything from murals and
dioramas to simple paste-up. Two years later, he followed a friend's advice and began
painting full time. Sales from his first show only just covered the cost of refreshments
and invitations, but yielded the first of many commissions that were to come.
Greg Olsen's Biblical paintings, represented in religious temples in more than 20
countries around the world, and his work for the Pentagon and the National
Collegiate Athletic Association required intensive research and strict attention
to factual detail. While these historical paintings satisfy his desire to render works with
a sense of permanence, his whimsical paintings afford him the freedom to transfer
his imagination to canvas. When Olsen paints a tree house, he paints it the way children
climbing it imagine it to be — the simple boards and nails of reality become elaborate,
majestic castles in the sky.
Olsen's paintings are included in many corporate collections, including Mobil
Corporation, Turner Broadcasting System, Westin Hotels, World Explorer Cruises, the
American Cancer Society, as well as the Pentagon, the U.S. Forest Service and the
state of Idaho. His works have been exhibited in prominent art galleries
throughout the West and major one-man shows.
Olsen's philosophy on art is quite simple. "For me, I just always appreciated the
beauty of art and the way it made me feel," he says. "Art's greatest purpose is just
to make us happy. I take a lot of pleasure in painting and hope that pleasure is
contagious to those who look at my art." |
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