"I paint because I cannot not paint, if that makes any sense. It is my spiritual path,
one that delivers me fron the stress of this crazy world. Since returning to Iowa
I have become increasingly interested in plein air painting. Painting 'en plein air'
(in the open air) is a pursuit unlike any other painting technique. It challenges me
to concentrate every sensory nerve on the information in front of me. I love the
experience– from sight to sound, from temperature to atmosphere, and then
channeling all those feelings from head to hand, re-creating the vision in front of me
on canvas. It is truly a spiritual experience for me. Painting en plein air takes me out
of my mind and into peace and happiness.

Born in 1955, Hans Eric Olson grew up in a small Midwestern town in Iowa. Drawing lessons for Hans began almost
as early as he can remember. He was driven to create and was often found refining his works, experimenting with the
various methods of painting, or studying the lives of the masters before him.

Three days after graduating from his small high school in Iowa, he left in search of an artist to apprentice with, ending
up in Los Angeles. Sheer luck landed him a job with a publishing house where he helped to illustrate variousbooks
while working with a small, exclusive group of talented artists. He trained much like the "old world masters"in a
painstaking technique called "glazing", in which layer upon layer of very thin oils are placed on the canvas.

After years spent out West painting, Hans decided to do something he had never considered since he graduated from
high school 23 years earlier. He felt a calling to return to the Midwest and began painting the motifs that inspired him in
his youth. "It took almost a year to appreciate the natural beauty of this area after coming from the island of Maui. Now
I look forward to the change of seasons with great anticipation. The simple landscape with it's huge sky and rolling
prairies inspires me now."

Hans now resides in Iowa City, Iowa. where he spends many hours exploring the natural beauty of the Midwest. His
current interest lies in the "Plein-Air" style of painting, where the artist paints directly from nature, quickly trying to
capture the rapidly changing light and shadows of the landscape.