mackenzieolsonart

Tennessee Theatre Painting for K-Town Christmas Volume 2

Mackenzie Olson — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 07:02:34 +0000

I recently finished this painting that a friend from Knoxville named Kent O’Glesby asked me to do for a Christmas Album he produced. Its called K-Town Christmas Volume 2, this is the second year he has produced one. This year’s album includes The Black Cadillacs, Vinyl Thief, Nic Mingie, Garrett Sale, Chaz Miles, (International superstar) Ryan Blackburn, and more!

100% of the proceeds go toward feeding starving children in Guatemala and Appalachia through a charity called “Feeding God’s Children.” They have very little operating costs so your $1 for a song or $10 for the whole album will go almost entirely toward helping children who desperately need it.
If you want to know more about the charity, you can go towww.feedinggodschildren.org

And for the iTunes link you can go here:

http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/k-town-christmas-vol.-ii/id485066463

The painting can also bee seen an ordered on Fine Art America. Click Here for the page.

Mackenzie Olson — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 20:24:24 +0000

Here are some pictures from teaching at Creative Spirits last night!

Click to view slideshow.

This Saturday July 23rd!

Mackenzie Olson — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 00:04:05 +0000

This Saturday July 23rd I am teaching a class how to paint this painting, Fall Weather, at Creative Spirits from 7 to 10pm! $40.00 for the class and you take the canvas home! If you are interested click here for sign up information.

Creative Spirits

Mackenzie Olson — Tue, 24 May 2011 19:44:03 +0000

I got a new job! I am a new painting instructor at a company in Fort Collins called Creative Spirits. The company itself is fairly new, but is a company centered around teaching the everyday person how to paint. It is similar to a canvas and cocktails kind of place, but is different in the sense that what they are trying to do is use artists like myself and create more advanced art. I instruct your every move and you leave the session with a piece of art that you made.

I have never really done anything like this before and I hope that I will enjoy it. I absolutely love the owners and I think if nothing else it will be a super fun thing for me to do in this season. I will let you know when I do what my schedule looks like if you are interested in coming to one of my classes!!!

Thanks for reading!

First Friday Reception at Cocoa Ole!

Mackenzie Olson — Thu, 05 May 2011 19:49:02 +0000

Hi there friends. Tomorrow May 6th I am having a closing reception at Cocoa Ole from 4pm-8pm. If you would like to pop in and say Hi I would love that!!!

May 6th, Cocoa Ole off College in Old Town From 4-8pm

April Show

Mackenzie Olson — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 22:50:22 +0000

Cocoaoleartistpage

This Month I am showing my art at Cocoa Ole! It is a very small very new coffee shop that used to be Deja Vu. It helps that my boyfriend works there. But if you would like to stop in it will be up through April!

Mackenzie Olson — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 00:44:55 +0000

No title yet.. and sorry the picture is not very good quality.

24×48 Oil on Canvas, 2011

Featured on Etsy

Mackenzie Olson — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 21:58:49 +0000

My Castiglion Fiorentino painting is being featured on an Etsy Treasury called Spring in Tuscany! Click the image to view!

Mackenzie Olson — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 05:30:31 +0000

Mackenzie Olson Design Studio New Logo

I made a new logo!!!! I never did much graphic design in college but I really like it. I sign my paintings with my initials that look somewhat like this logo. What do you think??

Resolutions

Mackenzie Olson — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 05:26:16 +0000

A new year is almost here. I am usually never a resolution type but this year I do know of one. As you may or may not know, I am an artist fighting for room in my life to really pursue my art. I don’t want my art to be a hobby, something that I do rarely. I want to run after it. But what I am learning is as my life continues to become busier and busier, the time and space for my art needs to be more and more fought for. I love making art, it is a big part of who I am; however, it is still work. And when I have a running to-do list in the back of my mind, it seems easy to put my art on the back burner.

So my resolution this year is to make more art than I did this last six months. I am still learning how to really do it, and still dreaming about what it can all become. I have dreams of starting a card company, alongside my fine art. I need to always be learning, always pushing myself, and I hope to use this blog as a tool to push me farther. I want to blog something I have been working on once a week. Having this goal will make it easier for me to do so, since I am a sort of deadline dependent person after all.

What have you created lately? Do you ever experience difficulty managing your to-do list and still finding time to create something completely unique to you? What do you do to keep yourself motivated?

Whatever you do, may you find the time to create this year. Because it matters, so deeply.

I know that life is busy and hard, and that there’s crushing pressure to just settle down and get a real job and khaki pants and a haircut. But don’t. Please don’t. Please keep believing that life can be better, brighter, broader, because of the art that you make. Please keep demonstrating the courage that it takes to swim upstream in a world that prefers putting away for retirement to putting pen to paper, that chooses practicality over poetry, that values you more for going to the gym than going to the deepest places in your soul. Please keep making art for people like me, people who need the magic and imagination and honesty of great art to make the day-to-day world a little more bearable. ~Shauna Neiquist in Cold Tangerines