At a state memorial service in Sydney, Australia's art world is paying tribute to the painter who revolutionised the way people saw the Australian landscape.
Wendy Whiteley, Ken Done and Ben Quilty are among those in the crowd at the Art Gallery of NSW, with the prime minister and NSW premier also attending.
Master of ceremonies Michael Yabsley said Olsen had charisma by the truckload, even in his later years.
"When it came to lighting up a room he was in a class of his own - remarkably, in the twilight of his life, John was still in the prime of his life," he said.
He remembered the artist as a bon vivant, a cook, philanthropist, teacher, mentor, lover of literature, and businessman too.
"The great man would say the only embellishment to an outstanding piece of art should be a red dot."
The Sydney Art Quartet played some of Olsen's favourite pieces of music, before musician William Barton performed his piece Spirit of the Landscape for voice and didgeridoo.
"Now Uncle John is up there painting those big dreaming stories too with those elders of our landscape and our mother country... his paintbrush was his message stick," Barton said.
Olsen's career spanned nearly seven decades and he died on April 11, aged 95.
He won the Wynne, Sulman and Archibald Prizes and was awarded the Order of Australia and an OBE.
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