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George Olson (1936-) George Olson was born in Michigan USA. He taught botanical art at the College of Wooster in Ohio from 1963 until his retirement in the 1990s. As part of his studies he visited the botanical collections at the Natural History Museum and observed plants in the gardens at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and the Chelsea Physic Garden in England. Olson developed a unique style of illustration, often depicting his favourite subject, the tall grasses and wildflowers of the north American prairies. Through his artwork he captures on paper the scale and grandeur of plants, using watercolour and pencil to record the different stages of their development. His work has coincided with a growing interest in the United States about prairie conservation issues. Little of the original prairies now remain, despite the fact that the prairies once covered twelve states, from the Midwest to the Rockies.
This drawing in watercolour and pencil depicts the Common fleabane (Erigeron philadelphicus).
The George Olson Drawings Collection This watercolour is one of two watercolours held
in the Museum by George Olson.
Exhibition and publication details Olsen’s work has been exhibited in America and many international venues including the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation in Pittsburgh and Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Lois, USA; and the Natural History Museum, London. Olsen presented several paintings to the Natural History Museum, other examples of his artwork can be found in numerous collections in London, the USA, Japan and private collections. A catalogue accompanying an exhibition of his artwork
at the British Museum (Natural History) was published
in 1990 entitled George Olsen: Plant Studies
from the American Prairie.
References and further reading Olsen, G. (1990) George Olsen: Plant Studies from the American Prairie. British Museum (Natural History): London. 32 p. pls. Olson, G. (2005) The elemental prairie : sixty
tallgrass plants. University of Iowa Press
: Iowa City. 92pp.
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