Hjordis Olson

medium: painting

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Abraham and Isaac 2008 Painting	Angel 2008 Painting	Cat Dream 2009 Painting
Chicken 2009 Painting	Dinner 2009 Painting	The Birth 2009 Painting
The Blessing 2008 Painting	The Gift 2009 Painting	The King 2007 Painting
The Magician 2009 Painting

Contact information
N8751 County Road A
Colfax, WI 54730
Phone Number: 715-962-3660

Artist statement
I love to have black humor in my work. I'm influenced by literature such as Don Quixote by Cervantes or the story The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka. Both writers reflect the mixture of cynicism and innocence which seems a part of my view of the world. I want my pictures to tell a story although I don't know exactly what they mean. I prefer that the story isn't fixed in stone; I want the story to change with the mood of the viewer. I think the characters I paint are sometimes actors in various disguise. They seem to jump from one picture to another. My favorite painter when I first started painting was Henri Matisse. His use of pattern and color attracted me. He was the first painter in whom I had a gut response of recognition with. As I've painted longer I find Max Beckman intriguing because he's an exceptional painter with bold use of color and form combined with psychological intensity. There are dozens of ways to read his paintings. Since I enjoy a sens of story behind pictorial symbols, I am inspired by his work. I often fight with a painting throughout the course of working. Although I start with a plan I allow the picture to direct me; I want the picture to stay alive. By the end, I feel comfortable with the picture, imperfections and all.

Biography
Born June 8, 1959 in Madison, Wis. BFA Painting and Graphics, University of Wisconsin-River Falls, 1987. Many group and one person shows in western Wisconsin and Minneapolis, Minn. Work shown at the Milwaukee Art Museum. Featured artist in the Phipps Gallery in Hudson, Wis., and in the Eau Claire Regional Arts Center Gallery.