Olga Shvartsur of Olechka

Art & Expression 

Hi, guys! The protagonist of Art & Expression of this month is Olga Shvartsur aka Olechka, a young self-taught artist I recently discovered. I was immediately captured by her illustrations, so detailed and dreamy. It's a pleasure to me to present the interview she did for Ladyfairy's closet.

Tell us about you.

My name is Olga Shvartsur and I'm a self-taught artist. I have been using graphite pencils for my works for a long time and recently became interested in watercolors. I am loving this new medium!

When did you approach to art?

I have been drawing since I was a young child, probably around 6  years old. I was always interested in drawing portatraits of people I knew.

What stimulates you creatively?

Caffeine, good music, interesting subjects.

If you should describe yourself in three words, what would they be?

Detail - oriented, content, energetic.

There's a character/reference in art world that you particularly estime and appreciate? And why?

I love illustrating protraits of people with intense expressive eyes and striking features. Angelina Jolie and Audrey Hepburn are some of my favorite subjects for portraits.

The artist or artists whom inspire you the most.

Salvador Dalì, Lora Zombie.

How would you describe your style?

Detailed, realistic, fun.

Susan Sontag, a famous american writer, says that art is "a way of getting in touch with one's own insanity". What art is for you? And what relationship do you have with it?

I feel like art keeps me sane. I have a very  high-stress day job and I find art relaxing and it lets me get my attention away from the crazy reality and focus on my creation instead.

You secret artistic wish?

If I tell you it wouldn't be a secret anymore (smiley face)

On what are you working right now?

I am working on a series of colorful animal watercolor portatraits.

Looking at your works I can't help myself notice how truthful they are and how they look, I'd say, intense. Many of them are like suspended in a dreamlike and surreal atmosphere, imbued with a melancholic and almost restless aurea, maintening a certain concreteness. What is the secret?

Intensity comes from the eyes. I get them right and I play with the rest.

How is your relationship with digital art?

I experimented with digital art about 5 years ago, mainly for t-shirts design. I enjoyed creating digital artworks, but eventually came back to traditional art. I definitely prefer pencil (or brush) on paper vs. stylus on tablet.

What is the thought behind your works?

I enjoy  capturing people and their personalities in my works. When I started out, my goal was to re-create the original photograph as closely as I could. Now I am focusing more on adding something of my own to every piece.

There is one or more works you love the most? And why?

I don't have a favorite piece of work. Overall, I am very happy with how my recent watercolor works have been turning out. I am fairly new to using color and watercolors, so the results are turning out better than I expected.

Tell us about the creative process behind your creations.

I don't really plan out the details of my works beyond the subject... I just start working on them and things flow naturally.

 Future projects.

More animal portraits! I'd also like to work on a larger scale and paint on canvases.

A truthful advice from a young artist to a young artist: what is the main ingredient?

Don't be afraid to try new things - it's how you learn and grown and develop your style.

A greating to the readers of Ladyfairy's closet.

HI!!!

If you liked this interview and want to know more about Olga and her amazing artoworks you can visit her website or check out her facebbok page. Thanking her for sharing her time with me, I wish her all the best possible.

That's all guys, see you next time!