Olaf Schneider (b.1964) is a husband, father of two, and grandfather of seven. He studied at the Ontario College of Art as well as Sheridan College. In 1986, while painting large scale outdoor advertising billboards for Mediacom, he acquired a strong practical foundation that would become integral to his work today.
He is greatly inspired by mentor Ron Greig.
For Olaf each piece represents an intense exploration and refinement of his personal pictorial sensitivities, especially as they relate to beauty, form, light, and shade. Composition, color, and craftsmanship are all elements that become the building blocks of his work. Olaf is a prolific painter who is inspired by the power and diversity of the northern landscape, and anything that needs a “second look”. An explorer by nature, he travels across North America and Europe to gain inspiration.. I am best known for my high realism style of painting. It has been extremely rewarding to be recognized and awarded with the highest honours for much of my work both in Canada, USA, Europe (France & Austria). My work can be found in private, corporate and museum collections such as the TD Bank collection, Sick Children’s Hospital (collections both in Toronto & Montreal), the Louvre in Paris. My training has been thorough and exceptional. My inspiration comes from painters such as Norman Rockwell and William Bouguereau. I am a true realism painter by the very definition of this genre.
