Now available at CafePress.com:
products featuring original art by Laura Olsen. Check back often - we will be adding new drawings and products throughout the coming year!
Sailboat at Sunset
Poster, framed print, notecards, postcards and puzzle tile coasters. The complete Sailboat at Sunset series is available at the Olsen Creative Store at CafePress.com
Pacific Northwest Mountains
Poster, framed print, notecards, postcards, calendar.
Shown: Puzzle tile coasters. Four coasters featuring part of the Pacific Northwest Mountains art. Great together or spread out.
Pastels of the Pacific Northwest 2009 wall calendar
Get 12 drawings by Laura Olsen all in one package!
Personalized Wine Labels at NorthwestCellars.com
2005 Intrigue shown with "Stormy Oregon Lighthouse" art. 50% Merlot, 28% Syrah, 16% Cabernet, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot. Received Vinter's Honor at Seattle Wine Awards and 90pts from Wine&Spirits magazine
Introducing pastel illustrations
by Laura Olsen
The discovery of a new medium. Just the mention of it sends artists into seething excitement!
I discovered a new medium this summer. It's not new to the world, but rather, I had rediscovered it for myself in a really big way. Pastels. I'm talking about the chalk, not the color palette.
I experimented a little with pastels back in college, but didn't develop a preference for them as a medium. I leaned toward oil painting. When out "in the field" I would usually bring along my sketch pad and graphite pencil, rather than charcoal. I found that charcoal and pastels shared a similar "scritchiness" that bugged me - a little like fingernails on a chalkboard. I preferred the smoother feel of mediums such as graphite and oil paint.
I found that painting en plein air (French for "outside") in the natural light gave my oil paintings a lot more life and freshness than work done in the studio, but what a hassle it was to drag all of that equipment around – not to mention that a wet canvas is not the easiest thing to haul back home.
On vacation this summer, I decided to give pastels another try. There are definite advantages to using them in the field. They're portable, more colorful than graphite, drier than paint, and no extensive clean-up is involved. I was able to easily achieve the natural light look without the mess. Plus, time is a premium for me now, so I'm all for any activity that I can squeeze in quickly and easily. The scritchiness of the pastels didn't bother me, either (perhaps age has desensitized my nerve endings).
The result of settling on a medium that allows me to crank out art in short order, is that I am able to accumulate new material at a sustainable pace. What does that mean? It means that I can make enough art to be marketable. What more can an artist ask for?
Where can you find them?
CafePress.com - "Sailboat at Sunset" and "Pacific Northwest Mountains" as shown at left. Also "Pastels of the Pacific Northwest" 2009 wall calendar featuring 12 drawings from 2008.
NorthwestCellars.com - If you're into good Northwest wine, eight varieties are available featuring art by Laura Olsen on the label. For a REAL treat, ask us about personalizing a label for you. Minimum order is one case. Makes a great gift or to have on hand as your own "house" wine.
about illustrations available for corporate, editorial and other use.