PEOPLE ART by Jonny Olsen Owner: Shannon Mcfarlane, Waterloo, Ont. When Jonny was a young boy, the Olsen family canoed from Kingston to Ottawa listening to Roger Whitaker and watching the birds follow them. The trip took over a week. Owner: Jonny Olsen. This painting is the close-up image of Otis Strange, a fictional character named after the 90's Rock band that Jonny plays in. The name Otis Strange dereives from a line in Shakespeare's Hamlet "O'tis strange the night..." Owner: Jonny Olsen. Back at Bell High School in Nepean, Jonny's favorite musical groups were Rush, Stompin Tom and Bob Marley. Born in 1945, Robert Nesta Marley lead a group called "The Wailors" who became the only Jamaican group to have acheived superstar status. Bob Marley died in 1981 from Cancer. Owner: Anonymous. This is a picture of the lead singer of a Band Called Jacob Two-Two, a groovy Folk-Funk band from Ottawa Ontario. You can check out their website at jacobtwotwo.net. The Band actually got permission from the late Mordecai Richler to use the name Jacob Two Two, a popular children's novel series. Owner: Nathalie Bouchard of Ottawa, Ont. Jonny used a heavy paint style in this painting so that the hair and eyes would seem to come out of the painting. Owner: Nathalie Bouchard. Jonny loves the rain, and often loves to take a walk as soon as it starts pouring down. "It's Mother Nature having her shower." he says. "After it rains, everything is nice and clean, and green. That is why Vancouver is so beautiful." Jonny's Grandparents and extended family live in Vancouver so he visits there often. Owner: Jonny Olsen. Jonny studied Environmental Resource Studies at the University of Waterloo. For his fourth year Thesis, instead of writing a 60 page essay, Jonny did a painting exhibit instead, on Native Conflict and Sprituality in Canada. He got an 'A' Owner: Jonny Olsen. Stompin's Tom, Neil Peart, and Farley Mowat are some of Jonny's favorite Canadian Heroes. If you get a chance, check out Stompin' Tom's song 'Big Joe Mufferaw', a song about Ottawa, where big Joe paddled, all the way from Mattawa, in just one day. Owner: Anonymous. Sometimes life seems like a big video game with God at the controls. Life used to be a Commodore 64, now it's an Xbox. NUDES Owner: Anonymous. This picture was a project for grade 13 art class. Jonny was also part of the Environment Club, hence his interest in nature. Owner: Anonymous. This painting took only ten minutes to paint, and was painted on a ordinary pizza box, but became the most desired painting at a silent art auction at the Elbow Room in 1999. Owner: Jonny Olsen. The first version of this painting was done in Jonny's art class in University. Nude model painting was a prerequisite. The Painting then became part of his 4th year thesis and was widely admired. Owner: Anonymous. This painting was done later in the nude series. The model in this picture posed with her clothes on so that Jonny would have to use his imagination. Owner: Anonymous. Although the person is the picture is no one in particular, many say that she resembles Jonny's wife Alma. The picture however was painted before Jonny and Alma started dating in 2002. They are now married and have 2 chilren. Owner: Anonymous. Beer was said to have been created 6000 years ago in ancient Mesopotamia. It is beleived somebody left out some bread, it rained, the bread got wet, and it fermented, so naturally they decided to make a drink out of the inebriating pulp. It's no wonder it makes us drunk. Owner: Mathew Thomas, Ottawa, Ont. Gaia is the name for Mother Earth. This is one of Jonny's favorite paintings, painted at the Studio on Waverly St. that Jonny shared with his artist friend Maureen Adams. For many years this painting hung in the lobby of Shattered Wings Studio at 601 Bank Street in the Glebe, Ottawa. The studio has since moved away.