A third-generation artist, Olan Quattro grew up surrounded by art in the Central Coast of California and Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Both places, which abound in natural beauty, gave her a love of nature that is deeply instilled in her work. Quattro studied art in France and Mexico, learning from art schools and residencies. Her mixed media work combines gouache, acrylic, colored pencil and paper collage to create textures and tell stories. She is drawn to themes of memory and our place in the environment. Her work is both whimsical and reflective. Quattro is currently represented by Carrie Haddad Gallery in Hudson NY and State of The Arts Gallery in Sarasota, Florida. She also exhibits with MA Doran Gallery in Tulsa, OK. Her work has found travelled and found homes all over the world.
Statement
My mixed media work imagines a topography of memory, what is visible and what lies beneath. It is deeply rooted in art history's glorified depiction of the natural world, from the Impressionists to the Hudson River School. I am interested in mining the land of childhood, where magic seemed alive in the woods, in the streams and marshes. My paintings tell stories inspired by fairy tales and folk art, where figures are placed in these landscapes and there is always a new story to be found. I populate these wild places with glamorous and powerful women. These women do not heed the time-told advice from countless fairy tales to stay on the path and beware of strange and wild creatures. In my art these women are forging their own paths and are at home amongst the wild creatures of the world.