Carla Olson - Landscape Painter

I’m a plein air and studio painter exploring the immersive experience of the natural world. Working primarily in oils, I create impressionistic landscape paintings that invite you to delve into the sensory details of the vast and wild landscapes of the Colorado Plateau and Desert Southwest.

My process is inspired by the outdoors, simply observing how light illuminates land to carve distinct shapes and how the natural elements impact my experience. Looking for the “bones” of the landscape, I am drawn to compositional patterns: the jagged form of a canyon, the sweeping arc of a river bend, or the impermanence of shadow across the ground. My plein air work acts as initial studies to record the shifting light, color, and the immediate presence of the land, and serves as the foundation for all that follows.

Returning to the quiet of my studio, the process shifts to a deeper, slower conversation. Whether I continue work on a plein air piece or start a new studio piece, my studio work focuses on the reimagining of these studies into larger pieces that explore a looser interpretation, layering light and color as the path to a sense of place.

Ultimately I want to create a moment for a you to catch your breath, to feel a sense of openness and wonder.

Website: www.carlaolsonart.com

Email: carla@carlaolsonart.com

IG: @CarlaOlsonArt

FB: @CarlaOlsonArt