Biography: Olaf
Olaf is a prolific Canadian painter inspired by the power and diversity of the northern landscape. An explorer by nature, the artist travels across Canada, gaining inspiration and discovering new colour combinations by painting outdoors on location. His large-scale canvases are necessarily created in the studio.
Olaf uses colour, light, and brushwork to achieve visual harmony. He captures the movement of water, as well as the freshness and clarity of sunlight, which seems to glisten on his surfaces. In describing himself as well as other artists of representational art, he writes: "Each dab is stimulated by the details that I observe; we see what others miss and then make it compelling. We proudly push and alter the colours to suit our ravenous needs. We improvise right on the spot."
Olaf experiments with a variety of subjects from Canadian landscapes and canoe scenes to paintings of marbles and chairs. Through his art, he expresses his love for life and affinity for vibrant colour. Olaf explains: "I paint an image and convey an emotional context that is accessible to the viewer. I like to use expressive and thick impastoed brushstrokes or soft, blended strokes to render a sense of movement and texture, giving the painting a life of its own. My interpretation of colour also sets the dynamic mood. The tones often range from the darkest to the lightest in an effort to achieve maximum drama. This creative combination of 'information' is spontaneous and intuitive."
Schooled at the Ontario College of Art, Sheridan College, Olaf resides in the Toronto area. His paintings are widely exhibited in Toronto, Quebec, Alberta and throughout North America, as well as in Germany, the Netherlands, and Italy. He has been heralded with top honors in International Artist Magazine.
