Life & Work with Linda Olsen of Neptune Beach

Today we’d like to introduce you to Linda Olsen.

Hi Linda, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers.
Growing up in California with seven siblings and a sailboat brought many adventures. As a kid, sailing along the coast of California, diving and hiking on the Channel Islands, surfing, and swimming have all contributed to my passion for nature, especially the ocean. My father was an industrial designer/inventor who worked from home. We watched his creative process and work ethic, were given the freedom to explore on our own, and were encouraged to think outside the box. I earned a Fine Arts degree from San Diego State University in the early 70s before moving to Carmel, where I taught high school art. Then, 45 years ago, I moved to Jacksonville and spent 27 years in the field of graphic design and Creative Directorship. I was honing my skills in design and advertising, photography direction, digital retouching, and printing. In my early 50s, I launched Linda Olsen Photography which allowed me to record over 225 weddings (some internationally) and countless family portraits for fifteen years. With my art background and years of retouching experience, I offered clients unique and artistic portraits and was able to offer them professionally custom design books. During the last decade, I have changed my focus to my roots as a painter. We had built a small art studio in the backyard, which became my happy place where I listened to music and painted. I find that painting is very challenging and meditative. Many hours are spent analyzing and finding answers to possibilities that arise. I utilize my photo references and experiences. I often go to the beach to watch the sunrise and swim, inspiring a series of beach, dune walkways, and surf. Fortunately, my work has gained popularity, and I am living my dream as a full-time artist.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
As with life, there are many ups and downs. It is always how you decide to handle the downs. While being a caregiver to my husband for 9 years, I found ways to keep positivity in my life with my friends and painting.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Over the years of experimenting with different mediums and art supplies, I have discovered that acrylic paints on gallery wrap canvases work best for my stylings. Deliberate brush strokes with energetic movement, transparent glazes, thick paint with palette knife execution, soft brushstrokes, exaggerated light, and bright, contrasting colors contribute to my impressionistic style. Generally, I like to work on several paintings with the same theme but in different sizes and orientations. I try to take on new ideas with each painting and creatively explore as I work. The challenge is to “go beyond what I know. ” The challenges in finding and expressing that voice deep inside all of us are consuming. Many hours and years of working alone, experimenting with mixing paints, finding my rhythms, and practicing skills and knowledge are infused into each expression. Salt air feeds my soul when I reside near the Pacific or Atlantic Oceans for most of my life. When I was a little girl, I would swim through the kelp beds pretending to be a mermaid. Many years later, I painted my first mermaid painting and became interested in this fantasy genre. In late 2019, Hayhouse of London commissioned me to illustrate “Messages from the Mermaids,” a 44 deck of oracle cards that have become very successful internationally.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.Saatchiart.com/Surfbabe
• Instagram: linda151art
• Other: www.Linda-Olsen.Pixels.com