Like the Wings of a Dragonfly

Hutson Gallery is proud to present Like a Dragonfly’s Wings, an exhibition of new work by Rose Olson. The title is an apt description of Rose’s art. Dragonflies are among the most ancient of insects — they were darting across rivers and lakes long before dinosaurs appeared. Running through each wing is a pattern, a network of veins which is held together with a thin, shiny, transparent film. Color and wood-grain patterns are also elements of Rose Olson’s work. Color has a sharpening aspect and interacts with the beauty of natural elements. Wood-grain patterns are unique just like a dragonfly’s wing structure or a fingerprint. Both color and grain pattern contribute to the meaning and structure of every work of Rose’s art.
Rose applies many layers of different colors, one color layer at a time. Each layer enhances the wood-grain pattern and increases the painting’s luminosity. The colors often change as the viewer moves or the light shifts. “Hard edges and color bands also enhance the spatial and color effects of each work revealing, in a sense, another way of seeing that world.”
Rose Olson is a painter with Studios in Beverly and Boston’s South-End, where she grew up. After graduating from Tufts University, she taught at several colleges in the area including Montserrat College of Art where she joined their full-time faculty and earned the rank of Professor. She is a colorist, continually influence by the beauty of natural elements.