I create my paintings from my own photographs. They are a combination of my photos handpainted on canvas. My work has a simple message: see the individual through color and light. by doing so, one's individuality can be more fully understood. It is a visual stimulation to remind people to simply look at one another and see through the layers of a complex personality. In our world today fame and pop stardom are sometimes reduced to “5 seconds of fame”. In some respects we can blame (or thank) the mass media for contributing to a jaded social value of “been there, done that”. Regardless, my work is an effort to capture an essence within that fleeting context and place it into a perpetual freezeframe. why can’t a nano-second last forever? - "Olan's pop art explodes off the canvas like fireworks, both contemplating and celebrating the beauty of the individual." - Jennifer Cattaul for MAR Magazine - July-Aug 2006