Brian’s 2014 performance for Gunnison Valley Health

(GVH) was so successful that the smiles were still on their faces when they booked him as the featured entertainment for a Celebrity Golf event in 2015. Members of the community were buzzing throughout the year waiting for Brian’s return. His donated performance paintings raised life-changing funds in 2015! 

Fundraising events are important for any organization that relies on donations to operate. Competing for dollars in a difficult economy requires creating events that not only bring people in, but that also get them to open up their hearts and wallets while in attendance.  Attendees want to know they are “doing good,” but they also want to get a great value for their contribution.  That is why the GVH Foundation brought in BRIAN OLSEN ART, for the second year in a row, to perform and provide unique original artwork for the foundations auction. There are only so many live paintings up for bid at each event, and those who missed out last year were thrilled to be able to attempt and outbid their fellow attendees this year.

Not only do the winners go home with a unique piece of art, but also they are constantly reminded of the good they did when they see it hanging in their home or office.  Executive Director of GVH, Nancy Osmundson, says that Brian is constantly talked about in the community and that is why it was a no-brainer to invite him back for this encore performance.

If you are looking for a way to raise life-changing funds at your next event, remember that BRIAN OLSEN ART generously donates all of the paintings to qualified 501c3 organizations to auction during the event.

Gunnison Valley Health Association

Brian was thrilled to return to Deloitte Consulting for the 5^th year in a row. Future CFO’s were brought together from around the world for a weekend of learning, networking and inspiration.

 When a client like Deloitte Consulting comes back to BRIAN OLSEN ART multiple times over the course of 5 years, you’d like to think you are doing something right. At the same time, you know you need to up your game each time.  While the attendees are different, word can get out and the surprise, while no less exciting live, risks being spoiled just a bit. So how does BRIAN OLSEN ART keep things fresh?

Brian knows he needs to wow at these events, while keeping in mind that they are networking opportunities for the attendees. His performance needs to balance getting their attention in a way that fosters communication. This is not always an easy task.

In a typical show, participants can become mesmerized while Brian goes about shaping one of his creations. Knowing how to sense the audience’s attention and make small adjustments, such as flipping a painting upside down, or tossing aside his brushes and painting the canvas with his fingers, can create the right moment to intrigue complete strangers to start conversing like old friends.

Wowing an audience is just one aspect of any event that BRIAN OLSEN ART participates in. Taking the time to really make sure that the planners, the host and the attendees get the most of the experience is just as important and something BRIAN OLSEN ART prides

McCain foods brought together 250 of their top leaders to kick off a new direction for the company. BRIAN OLSEN ART was there to pump up the crowd and contribute paintings to a wildly successful simultaneously broadcast e-auction.

Who does the world’s largest “Fry Guy” reach out to when they are hosting a massive awards event? Well, when that culinary master is McCain Foods, and they are hosting an event titled, “A Master Piece in the Making,” they knew there was only one choice, Brian Olsen Art in Action!

McCain had reached out to the fantastic In Focus Entertainment  (URL?) with one request, “We need a showstopper that will showcase the passion and hard work behind a masterpiece.” Because of previous experiences working with BRIAN OLSEN ART, In Focus Entertainment knew they could count on Brian to be the “quintessential professional!”owner Robyn stated, “I really appreciate how Brian spends the time to understand our groups and our objectives and then is able to personalize his performance and message to any event.”

Brian Olsen Art in Action delivered. The client was so excited following the performance that they chose to purchase all three paintings for a post-event, online charity auction on behalf of Feed My Starving Children.

Following the event, excited attendees were overheard saying, “

The awards dinner was one of the best ever…Brian Olsen was awesome -Very creative and different – Love that we are auctioning his paintings for charity

Great evening! Brian Olsen was AMAZING! I loved this and the fact that we’re going to take the proceeds from the art and donate to “Feed My Starving Children!” 

Brian, himself, was overhead saying how much of a thrill it always is to be able to create a work of art in front of a live audience. Having his art called a “masterpiece” and knowing it could do so much good for such a great charity was exhilarating and humbling.

Brian Olsen Art and Sinbad teamed up with OnStage Talent Group to entertain and motivate 5,000 attendees at a massive multi-day medical conference. 

OnStage Talent Group is used to getting client requests for rock stars like Sheryl Crow and Lenny Kravitz, top comedians such as Jay Lenno, and sports icons, such as Phil Jackson and Pat Riley. But when their client came to them with their biggest event of the year, tied to a fundraiser, they knew Brian Olsen Art would be the perfect fit. Brian’s performance was a huge success and the monies raised by the auction of his paintings went to a great cause.

When asked why they were so confident that Brian Olsen was the right choice Stephanie was quick to say, “We recommend Brian in many types of situations, entertainment for receptions and galas, vignettes to break up a long day of sessions, really there isn’t much that Brian can’t deliver.”

In the end, the client was thrilled with the results, stating that, “Brian’s execution was flawless. He was the consummate professional and a joy to work with throughout the entire process”.

Speed painting is both a painting and performance style that grows more and more popular with time. The terms “speed painting” and “speed painter”, however, fail to describe the multiple skills needed to produce quality artwork of this type.

Denny Dent is recognized as the first painter to introduce this type of painting style to the American art scene in 1981. His frenzied live performances captivated countless audiences who sat in utter amazement as they watched him produce great artwork (usually of famous people) through unique techniques known as an “Art Attack”. Although he passed away from heart complications on March 29, 2004, his flamboyant, passionate style of painting lives on.

Speed painting has a freestyle element to it that expresses an artist’s talents to the fullest extent as they produce a work of art with showmanship. Instead of just capturing a particular subject on canvas, a speed artist dares to go a step further, by giving the image personality and animation through choreographed music, constant motion and the several choices of colors–these are the principles of speed painting.

The audience’s anticipation of seeing blotches of paint slowly turn into a recognizable figure is partly why speed painting is such a great art form. The performance aspect of speed painting typically involves the use of up to six paint brushes as well as the use of the artist’s hands and elbows that aid in techniques like flipping, spattering and even throwing paint at the canvas in order to create the illusion of chaos as the image is brought to life.

More often than not, the artwork takes second stage to the actual performance. Seeing a speed painter bring Mick Jagger to life within minutes is a real showstopper. Furthermore, the impact made on an audience listening to inspirational music while watching the face of Dr. Martin Luther King being captured on canvas brings deep admiration and respect for the artist bringing this unforgettable leader to life.

I won’t argue that “speed painting” is the modern term for this style of art. In my opinion, however, this term doesn’t give the performance and the skills of an artist who holds true to the principles embodied by Denny Dent enough credit. I highly encourage you to take advantage of any chance you may have to witness this art form live to get the true sense and appreciation of what speed painting really is.

Going by the name only, most of you probably assume that speed painting only involves creating an image on canvas within a very fast period of time. To describe it more accurately, speed painting can be compared to seeing a great singer live in concert as opposed to seeing their picture on a wall. It brings life to a portrait in a way that you could never experience visiting an art gallery, since the creation of an image or portrait is accompanied by mood music as the artist splashes and spreads dynamic colors across the canvas with energetic flair.

The 6th Annual Adobe Digital Government Assembly, hosted by FedScoop, took place at The Ritz-Carlton, Washington DC. This full day event brought together top technology leaders, senior agency officials, and industry pioneers to discuss three core themes that serve as the foundation for agencies moving forward: engage, transform, and drive results. After morning full of general session keynotes, breakout sessions, and a networking luncheon, they had a thirty-minute window for entertainment and featured Brian Olsen. His message of creativity and his ability to engage the audience, transform a canvas, and drive results resonated with the event’s core theme.

The Purpose of the Gene Juarez Premiere Engagement was to assemble the entire company, approximately 700 people, to re-engage them on the state of the business, introduce an array of brand new initiatives to solicit new business and to give the employees a celebratory awards program of recognition. With these objectives in mind, The GJ Co. executives decided to approach the stage presentation from a completely different perspective than they had seen before! The wanted to address the creative spirit and inspirational energy that helped build the brand from the beginning! They loved the notion of completely taking the attendees by surprise and start off the corporate presentation with a new approach. They wanted an “Out-of-the-box” style presentation with artistry, inspiration and energy. Brian was that guy! “Brian rose to the occasion and then some, remarked Charlie (event planner). “ Through a few logistical challenges we encountered with the venue space and some of the timing of presenters, Brian was asked to go a little above and beyond the initial plan. He took to it instantly and offered a few solutions he could bring to help us overcome the challenges despite the solution changing his approach a bit. He was completely professional and it truly felt like Brian was a part of the presentation team and not just a “Guest” performer. The audience gave Brian a standing ovation which has never happened for this group in their past meetings. They loved what Brian created and couldn’t have been more in tune with his artistic and creative technique!”

Once a year Rainmaker LRO brings their customers together at a yearly conference to network, showcase new initiatives and recruit new customers. Brian Olsen’s art performance was appealing to Rainmaker LRO because of his uniqueness. The conference planners wanted their event to be a sensory overload and Brian helped to deliver without a doubt. “Brian was fantastic, as usual, remarked Stephanie (Meeting and Events Director) He brought a musical and visual element to the event that was outstanding. In addition, Brian helped in making our event shine by being flexible with the space we had on stage.” The clients of Rainmaker LRO couldn’t stop talking about how incredible the entertainment was. The photos didn’t stop and the chatter after each act was non-stop. The two VIP’s even bought the additional two paintings. Brian Olsen was the highlight of their evening.

 

 

The Boys and Girls Club was looking for entertainment during dinner that would interest people but also allow them to enjo
y their meals and conversation with table guests. The nonprofit’s theme this year was “Rock The Clubs” and the event planners thought the painting of a rock legend would be a great fit. Brian donated his artwork to the fundraiser, which more than covered the performance fee and helped raise thousands of dollars for the Boys and Girls Club of Metro Denver.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In this Google Hangout, learn about Brian Olsen’s painting of Bob Marley created in ten minutes with his fingers. Brian tells all about his mentor Denny Dent. Find out what happened to the speed-painters painting after it was created.

To find out how to work with Brian Olsen Art In Action and your next business or charity event. Go to the main website or click here: