Supply List:
Arches Cold Press Block 140 lbs, 11x14 or larger
Paints (recommended brands include Winsor Newton, Holbien, Sennelier, Schminke, Michael Harding: Oxide Chromium, Cadmium Yellow Light, Cadmium Red Light, Yellow Ochre, Burnt Sienna, ultramarine blue, black
Brushes: 3 sable brushes, 1” Flat #10 Round, #3 or 4 round
portable watercolor palette
The art of the gesture is the energetic spirit of the piece. The best way to loosen up is to dive into short poses to engage the muscles. Students will be encouraged to be spontaneous and brave with their mark-making.
Born in Denver in 1973, Mikael Olson has been painting for as long as he can remember.
“I paint because it is the most natural way for me to define myself. I prefer to paint ordinary things, and I try to paint them honestly. Painting is my response to the intoxication of my visual experience.”
Mikael is a graduate of Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design and has continued to hone his craft through studies at the Arts Student League of Denver. He has worked alongside such prominent painters as Quang Ho and fellow Coloradan Kevin Weckbach, and includes among his influences such diverse talents as Andrew Wyeth and Richard Diebenkorn. His painting style, which he describes as “impressionistic toward slightly expressionistic,” is beautifully suited to the subjects he prefers: single objects in bold still-life, human figures thoughtfully composed and cleanly rendered, and light-infused street scenes.