Olivia Collins, 9 years old

What: Art show, watercolor, oil, mixed media

Reception: 5-8 p.m. Friday, April 1; art featured all month.

Location: Sequim Spice & Tea, 139 W. Washington St.

More info: Call the shop at 683-2050,

Jeannie Collins at 210-857-1720 or email lilogc9@gmail.com.

Nine-year-old Olivia Collins is a mix of emotions about her first art show devoted to her work.

“I’m excited-nervous,” she said.

The Helen Haller Elementary third-grader who works in watercolor, oil pastels and mixed media, hosts a reception from 5-8 p.m. Friday, April 1, in Sequim Spice & Tea, 139 W. Washington St., with her art on display all of April.

While Olivia may be a mix of emotions, her art teacher and family say they see something in Olivia that she might not be quite old enough to grasp yet.

Lulu Olson says she’s taught more than 1,000 students after running her own architectural design company in Los Angeles, and that Olivia “has the ultimate desire to get into a project.”

“She comes in with her own ideas,” Olson said. “It’s not like I have to lead her into something.”

Olivia’s mom, Jeannie Collins, says keeping her attention can be tough but she’s made a connection with art.

“It’s the only point and time this child is ever focused on anything,” Jeannie Collins said.

At least once a week, Olivia meets with Olson at The Vintage and takes a 3-3½ hour lesson.

The pair met at the Colors of Sequim, now Sequim Spice & Tea, where Olson taught lessons for people of all ages before taking them to the retirement home.

“She is an example of how almost anybody can do wonderful things with art,” Olson said.

Jeannie Collins says they’ve looked at their lineage and Olivia’s grandfather dabbled in art some but they aren’t entirely sure where Olivia’s love and talent for art comes from.

“She just likes to do it,” Jeannie Collins said.

“Sometimes I watch and wonder what she’s doing with the colors that you don’t think would work but do.”

This spring, Olivia continues to spread her time out though, going to school and playing soccer, but said art wasn’t an immediate love because her family sought her niche in several hobbies first. Olivia says her love for creating really kicked off after she participated in her first art show at The Vintage in September. She received some good feedback and enough funds from sales to take her parents out to dinner at Dairy Queen.

Her financial goal with the tea shop show is to start her own bank account and save for her dream — to attend Juilliard.

“I want to go to New York and Juilliard, go back to Sequim and then go back to New York,” she said.

While most of her time creating art is at home, the classroom or in art class, Olivia says she can “do art pretty much anywhere.”

For the First Friday reception, Olivia has recruited help from fellow artists Greg Elwood for framing her work and Laurie Tanguay of LoBo Designs for art prints.

For more information on the art show, call the tea shop at 683-2050 or Jeannie Collins at 210-857-1720 or e-mail lilogc9@gmail.com.