We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Olga Lavrova a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Olga, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

I grew up in a pretty conventional family, where artistic professions were not considered a serious career path. Since I had a natural knack for hard sciences, I majored in Mahematics/Economics at University and afterwards worked in different roles in the finance/audit industry. By the time I had made up my mind to switch to being a full-time artist, I had a successful corporate career and a stable, well-paid position. Leaving it was not a decision that came easily, because I knew I was giving up stability and a certain level of quality of life that I was used to. The image that came to my mind is that of jumping out of a plane, not knowing whether your parachute will open. But, in the end, I realized that I would rather take that jump and fail, than regret not having tried. I just had such an intense desire to paint out all my thoughts and feelings, and create something meaningful, that it almost felt like I had no choice. I’ve only been exhibiting for a couple of years and it is still a scary experience for me, I don’t know where this path will lead me and whether I will ever become a successful artist, but the people I connected with through my art make me appreciate taking that risk.

Olga, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I ended up painting almost by chance. I was looking for something creative to learn in my after-work time, and, as it happened, I lived within walking distance from an artist, whose work I really liked. I ended up studiyng with him for about six years, exploring different styles and mediums. Over time I developed a preference for working with oil and palette knife, and gradually established my current style of work. My paintings are mostly about the individual emotional experience. This is why I almost never paint people’s faces. I want to make it easier for the viewers to place themsleves into the environments I create. Often I don’t have a clear vision of how I want the finished piece to look, just a general scene, feeling and atmosphere. Then I start working, and the image, colors and details come together like in a developing photograph. I never want my work to be admired for its beauty, but for the thoughts and feelings that it stirs in my viewers. I tend to express the more subtle, complex, “half-tone” emotions, and sometimes they are not all positive, which is not everyone’s cup of tea. That makes me appreciate it all the more when my work finds a home – I know that it is bought not to just be a wall decoration, but will be meaningful to the owner.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I believe that when we get in touch with our deep, complex feelings, we become more sensitive and empathic towards people and the world around us. I hope that my work, through evoking these thoughts and feelings, inspires people to be more introspective and sensitive to others and to nature. My biggest reward is when I see my viewers connect with that sensitive side and hear them share their introspections.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Unfortunately, opportunities to exhibit are ususally very costly and keep many artists from being able to share their work. Help from state and city art support programs, as well as local art associations, allows emerging artists to exhibit their work often for free. The more such programs exist and the better funded they are, the more our society will benefit from a diverse creative community. On a more individual level, it really comes down to public support. Each time someone purchases artwork, spreads the word about an artist, invites an artist to participate in projects, they contribute to that artist’s future. We, as individuals, have an opportunity to elevate artists, who reflect our values and promote ideas that we want to shape our society. I am immensely grateful to local art programs and associations that have invited me to exhibit, and to each one of my clients and supporters for making it possible to continue creating my art.

Contact Info:

• Website: Olga-Lavrova.square.site
• Instagram: /Olga_Lavrova_Art
• Facebook: /OlgaLavrovaArt
• Yelp: /olga-lavrova-art-escondido

Image Credits
Personal archive