Heather Olsen, Sunshine Bear

Artist: Heather Olsen

Title: Sunshine Bear

Medium: Oil on wood

Dimensions: 10 x 10 inches

Price: $400

Artist Statement: The Care Bears were special bears that embodied different emotions and relationships. Each bear was given a name and a purpose, such as Love Bear, Friendship Bear, Bedtime Bear, and so on. The interplay among the bears helped my young self process some difficult emotions and understand the world and people around me. Sunshine Bear was always one of my favorites, because they went around spreading warmth and cheer, a ray of sunshine everywhere they went. I felt warm feelings of hope and comfort whenever I held the Sunshine Bear, feelings I cling to and long for as an adult.

Artist Bio: Heather Olsen is a figurative oil painter based in Salt Lake City, UT. Through her intimate portrayal of the figure, her work seeks to explore the human experience through feelings of intimacy, vulnerability, and longing for comfort. Heather was classically trained at the Bridge Academy of Art and the Hein Atelier for four years before earning her BFA from the University of Utah. Within the last two years, Heather was chosen among several applicants to study in Europe with notable figurative artists, such as Costa Dvorezky and Jeremy Mann, leveling up her artistic practice. Locally, Heather is most known for her painting during the Covid-19 pandemic featuring healthcare workers as heroic figures, spearheading the “Together We Can Do This” campaign. Prints of the painting now hang in all Intermountain Healthcare facilities throughout the state of Utah and beyond.

Her work is exhibited in various galleries and museums throughout the United States and Canada, and she has won several awards, notably the Juror’s Award in the 2025 Statewide Competition, Finalist in the Portrait Society of America’s Member’s Only Competition, and placed top four in the 2026 Art 64 worldwide speed painting competition. In addition to her studio work, Heather also paints murals and has recently completed a bus stop mural in Park City and a public mural in South Jordan’s Oquirrh Park. She also enjoys teaching painting and drawing through art workshops at the Visual Arts Institute, Workshop SLC, and in instructional videos produced by Sentient Academy. By pushing the boundaries of her creative expression, and committing to authenticity in her work, Heather continues to leave a lasting impression on the art world through her emotionally resonant oil paintings.