ARTIST BIOGRAPHY

Olive Florence Fell was a printmaker, painter, muralist and sculptor and spent much of her career as an etcher, gaining widespread attention for that medium. Born on June 1, 1896 on Big Timber Creek near Big Timber, Montana. Growing up among the western wildlife and scenic beauty of the Rocky Mountains greatly affected Fell’s life and career. 

She attended the University of Wyoming before studying art at the Art Institute of Chicago and the Arts Students League in New York City. Upon finishing school, she returned to and worked for many years near Cody, Wyoming, becoming associated with that town. Fell's home and studio overlooked Shoshone Lake from the north side of Shoshone Canyon, just west of Cody. She married S.S. Kensel in the 1930s but never used his name professionally.

During the 1930s, Fell’s career blossomed and she began loaning etchings to the Buffalo Bill Museum for seasonal exhibitions. She also created novelties and cards to be sold at the Haynes Picture Shop in Yellowstone National Park. Some of her commercial work featured her famous “Little Cub Bear,” a bright-eyed and often mischievous cub whose antics appealed to locals and tourists alike. In the 1940s and 1950s, Fell created postcards and posters for Yellowstone National Park.

Olive's awesome works of art can be found in the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, and the Whitney Western Art Museum. Additionally, Olive's prints were showcased in the 1936 International Etchers show in Los Angeles, and the Northwest Printmakers show in Seattle that same year.

Olive Fell died in 1980 in Cody, Wyoming.

CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY CONTENTS

"OLIVE FELL AND FRIEND

"This print was created by the artist, Olive Fell, well-known painter and etcher of Western animals and scenes.

"Born on Big Timber Creek at the foot of the Crazy Mountains, Olive Fell now lives on her Four Bear Ranch,high in the Absaroka Range of the Rocky Mountains. A nature-lover as well as an artist, she has devoted her entire life to the study of animals, trees and landscapes of the West.

"Artist Fell's etching have brought her many honors and are included in many collections. The Buffalo Bill Museum in Cody, Wyoming has dedicated a whole room to her works.

"This impression was hand-printed and signed by the artist, Olive Fell, in her log studio-cabin, on her Four Bear Ranch"