Christy Olsen

I was born in Memphis, Tennessee as a third generation painter. Growing up, I played under my mother’s easel and developed a love for drawing. My mother was a portrait painter, my aunt was a landscape painter and my grandmother was a porcelain painter who designed and painted china patterns.

My artistic training developed through formal education, intense practice at the easel, experimentation and tutelage under several new masters. ​ At a time when representational art was not offered in the fine arts curriculum of most universities, I chose to earn a Bachelor's of Art (B.A.) degree in Art History by studying the Old Masters via the classroom instead.

My earliest professional drawing experience consisted of technical and architectural blueprints, prior to computer aided design software. However my artistic drawing skills were honed via The Drawing Studio (TDS) in Tucson, Arizona and I eventually started teaching myself. I also continued my studio art education through professional workshops and I studied privately under several contemporary artists including Dawn Emerson, Suchitra Bhosle and Stephanie Birdsall.
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​My work has been exhibited in multiple selected solo shows, galleries and group shows across the United States. However today I really just enjoy teaching art with the Art Verve Academy.
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