Born in London to a Swedish father and English mother, Olsson initially worked in a City bank.
Without any formal training he was drawn principally to landscape and marine subjects. He first arrived in St. Ives in 1890, establishing a School of Landscape and Marine painting there in 1895. Like the Newlyn artists, Olsson was committed to painting out of doors and direct observation from nature. His principle concern was to capture the movement of the sea and the effect changing light had on the colours in the water.
When exhibited in 1938, the St Ives Times described, Rising Moon, St. Ives Bay as "a picture of emotional reaction to the view from Penolver to Godrevy, lit by an early moonrise".
Without any formal training he was drawn principally to landscape and marine subjects. He first arrived in St. Ives in 1890, establishing a School of Landscape and Marine painting there in 1895. Like the Newlyn artists, Olsson was committed to painting out of doors and direct observation from nature. His principle concern was to capture the movement of the sea and the effect changing light had on the colours in the water.
When exhibited in 1938, the St Ives Times described, Rising Moon, St. Ives Bay as "a picture of emotional reaction to the view from Penolver to Godrevy, lit by an early moonrise".
