Thursday, December 31, 2009

Janie Olsen's Painting, "The Whippets", Stolen!

Sad news from my friend Janie Olsen who emailed me last night to tell me she had a painting stolen! Yesterday morning, Wednesday, December 30th, around 10:30 or so she was taking down work from her show that was in the Lake Stevens City Hall. The title of the stolen work is The Whippets. (Click on the title to go to her website to view the missing work.) She thinks it must have happened while she was loading them into her car. The back door to the car was open as they were walking back and forth during the loading. It is a small place right by the police station! When she got home and unloaded everything she couldn't find the painting anywhere! She said she remembered it was one that she put in the car first because she had plans to enter it into a competition coming up. Everyone who helped her look for it, remembered it. It was a large framed painting! The only other possibility is it could have been taken sometime while she was transferring some of the paintings from that show at the city hall to the library where she was hanging a few of them. She said she is sure she locked her car because it was full of her work. When she got home, unloaded and found it missing she drove back to both places to look for it, and with the help of others, still could not find it! She did talk to the woman from the Lake Stevens Art Commission who said she will put an article about it in their local paper. We all as artists and art lovers know how this must feel for Janie. Any information or a safe return of this painting would be greatly appreciated. Here is Janie Olsen's website and contact page, www.thestorybookstudio.com. Good luck Janie! My heart goes out to you!

10 comments:

Unknown said...

Thanks Barbara :(

Gina B said...

How horrible! I hope having the news article will help her find the stolen piece quickly!

Barbara A. Freeman said...

You are most welcome, Janie! I do hope it turns up somehow!

Hi Gina, yes, that would be nice.

Tatiana said...

What a shame! On other hand... if it would be ugly painting, nobody would want it. Sorry to hear some people should do things like that to get what they like.

Autumn Leaves said...

My goodness...I was instantly brought back to the Whippet that went missing in NY from a dog show a few years back. I do not believe that precious dog was ever recovered either. I hope and pray that whomever did this will either send it back, drop it at a police station or the library or the mail...if none of those things, then I do hope that it will be treasured always. Not an area that I would have expected something like this to have happened. I am so sorry and thank you Barb for posting this for your friend. I do hope ultimately that the piece is recovered.

Barbara A. Freeman said...

Thanks for your comments Tatiana and Autumn. Poor Janie now has a nasty cold. I'm sure it was because of the stress of her "missing" painting that she came down with it now after being around it and staying well for so long!

We all hope her painting gets returned! Get well Janie and back to your easel!

Unknown said...

Barbara and everyone-thanks for all your good thoughts-Janie

Debra Keirce said...

How awful! And the worst part is, usually at these shows it is fellow artists who are around loading and unloading. Hopefully, the person who took it gets a good case of the guilts, and maybe even thinks about returning it at the next loading / unloadin opportunity! What a way to start out the new year.

Blackeyesusan10 said...

What a beautiful painting, The Whippets! That is a definite risk any time we hang things, to get it stolen. In a way it's a compliment but I know you'd rather have the painting in hand. What a terrible feeling for sure to lose a painting like that!

Barbara A. Freeman said...

Thanks for your comments Deb and Amazing antiques 2009. It is indeed a bad way for Janie to start the new year. I don't think there has been any news of it's return or of it being found. But we can still hope it turns up!