Lady of the lake
Hidden Lake is an appropriate name for the idyllic setting in which a completely new body of work has emerged from the paintbrush of Louise Olsen. The eucalypt-fringed serene, sheltered body of water in the New South Wales Southern Highlands provided the backdrop and inspiration for Pollination , Louise’s debut exhibition as a painter, a significant shift for someone whose name has been synonymous with Dinosaur Designs for the past 35 years. But behind the body of work lies an even more powerful story. All the canvases were painted during a new chapter in Louise’s life in which she and her celebrated artist father John Olsen have been quietly painting side by side in his peaceful rural retreat.
Their days have taken on a gentle rhythm. Each morning after breakfast they retreat to their studios at either ends of John’s home to begin the day’s work. Louise’s studio is spacious and airy, with large doors that open out onto the lake beyond where she’ll often venture with her easel, canvas and tubs of paints, immersing herself in the ever-changing light and gentle soundscape
