Raven in Juniper
Pastel
14 x 18

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Vivian Olsen

As a child growing up in rural California, and now as an artist roaming the mountains and high desert of Central Oregon, observing the life around her has always been a passion for Vivian Olsen. These quiet explorations inspire her to paint the wild animals and birds that inhabit these places. Sketching, viewing, and photographing her subjects gives her the important references she later uses in her studio.

Her wildlife paintings are not just copies of photos, but are paintings created from her observations and her spirited imagination. Vivian’s detailed portraits express each animal’s lively personality and individual behavior. At times it is not just the animal, but its habitat which is her focus - mountains, lakes, and rivers. She captures all these subjects with oil paint, acrylics, pastels, or watercolor in paintings that glow with vibrancy and light.

With a Master’s in Science-Biology and an Art Degree she has been a professional wildlife artist for 30 years, has worked as a wildlife illustrator, and as an Art Educator for 18 years in New Mexico. Now retired, she exhibits her paintings frequently in Solo shows and in exhibits with the High Desert art League, as well as in juried exhibits and in galleries throughout the region.

Vivian is Vice President of the High Desert Art league, member and past President of the Plein Air Painters of Oregon, member of Oil Painters of America, and is a Signature Member of New Mexico Watercolor Society. Her recent paintings can be viewed at Eagle Crest, Oregon, and at Ambiance Gallery in Redmond, Oregon. View her complete works on her Website: www.vivianolsen.com