Profile: Art in Action

Denver artist Brian Olsen likes to make paint fly. His art is so action-packed, it's not uncommon for him to be totally covered in paint after a session. Olsen is known for his "art in action," captivating audiences by using his fingertips, palms, elbows and up to three paintbrushes in each hand, painting animatedly while jamming to music. In a mad display of passion and art, his masterpiece comes to life on canvas during the span of two to three songs.

Olsen, 35, is known for his paintings of musicians, professional athletes and celebrities. He is regularly hired to paint for corporate, nonprofit and private events. "My primary focus is corporate events, because not only is what I do entertaining, but I can speak on creativity and thinking outside the box," explains Olsen. "The cool thing about what I do is that I can grab the attention of the audience through my performance."

Olsen has painted for events worldwide, including the Dubai International Film Festival. He recently went to Australia to paint golfer Greg Norman at the Johnny Walker Golf Classic. An Olsen painting of Marilyn Monroe for an AIDS benefit in Dubai orchestrated by actress Sharon Stone raised $200,000. "I get to meet a lot of interesting people," he muses.

Music selections are tailored to the subject he's painting. "If I paint Mick Jagger, I'll use two to three Rolling Stones songs," he explains. "I try to pick music that reflects the character. For custom paintings, I like to incorporate the person's favorite tunes."

Connecting with the audience, seeing the spark in their eyes and hearing how his painting performance motivated them excites Olsen. He feels his sessions demonstrate that if you put your heart into something, you can do anything you want in life. "It's rock ‘n' roll. It's fun. That's the best part."

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Brian Olsen Art in Action // 720.570.2303