I’ve said this once, but I will say it again just in case you guys missed it: Social Media’s algorithm can work in your favor sometimes; especially if you’re looking to engage with and discover new artists to help them get more exposure and promotion for their art. It’s like manifesting, but without even trying, because your thoughts make-up your reality. And that’s the best kind of manifestation that can come through for you.
When it comes to Social Media, it’s all about „getting the word out” like they say, continuously talking, promoting and showing your art on every Social Media platform available, but suitable for your brand. Because we need to face the music now, people are busy, overwhelmed and bombarded with information from all sides and it’s getting more and more difficult to catch their eye. The question is „What would make someone stop from scrolling?” And believe it or not, the answer is most of the time art. Art is always going to make people stop whatever they are doing to uncover the mystery behind what that piece of art is or to simply admire it.
That’s what I did when I found Olga Kovtun’s work on Instagram, to be more precise, on my IG stories where someone dear to me shared a post from her feed. I immediately stopped scrolling to the next story because I was intrigued and charmed at the same time by her art. I loved it from the second I saw it and that’s why I hopped on her profile to see and discover more about what she does. I was amazed by the attention to details and the diversity in all her paintings. This showed to me that I was seeing a complex and a real artist at work. If I were to describe her paintings in a few words those would be: majestic, impressive and unique.
Considering all of the above, you can see why I was very much interested to know more about Olga, about her art and in this interview it’s her telling her story.
Have a read.
Let’s start from the beginning. How did your passion for painting start?
I have been drawing since childhood; my mother was an architect, so I was in touch with the beauty of art from a very young age. I loved drawing near my mom and I always was sure I would be an artist.
As an artist, what were your biggest challenges when it comes to promoting your art?
It’s difficult for me as a creative person to do my own promotion in general, as it takes a lot of time which I’d rather spend painting. And very often the conditions of cooperation are not very favorable for the artist.
From your perspective, do you find Social Media helpful when it comes to reaching out to more people?
Yes, Social Media is very useful. We felt it acutely especially when we all stayed at home during the pandemic lockdown. They are a good way to promote and showcase your art and get feedback, which is very important.
How does inspiration work when it comes to painting? Does it come easily? Do you have a specific routine before you start to paint your next piece?
It’s different every time. Inspiration comes very often during work, but painting is a pleasure for me and I get positive emotions from the process. For me, it’s a kind of meditation. I can nurture an idea for a long time, or solve a problem inside myself, and when I feel I found the answer, I can continue to work.
Or I may not yet have the answer, so I do some other part of the work which demands less creativity (transferring a drawing, painting over something). Because of this, I often work on several pieces at once. My schedule changed a lot after I became a mother. So now I try to paint when I have the smallest opportunity. In general, I really like to paint alone, but I learned to work in different conditions.
How much time does it take for a painting to be done and also, how much energy does it take to complete it?
It is difficult to say, it depends on the size, complexity of the composition, the details. There’s also specific technology: I usually work with thin layers of oil, which demands a lot of time. On medium-sized work, up to a meter, I can spend about a month and a half. I worked on my diploma project for 6 months almost every day. If the work is not large, maybe 2 weeks. Everything is very individual.
As I said, I take pleasure from my work; I have the feeling of self-fulfillment, although I spend a lot of energy both physically and morally. But it is a very harmonious feeling of content tiredness. It is an inner feeling when you realize that the picture is complete and you need to stop.
As an artist, do you have a comfort zone when it comes to painting? And do you like to try different kinds of paintings and experiment?
Ideally, the comfort zone is when you are alone with the artwork and you are not distracted by external problems. But this rarely happens. So I try to create these conditions myself. Sometimes my creative comfort zone is music in headphones, which allows me to distract myself from any noises. I like to experiment, I have different ideas. But this is usually in the stream of my work.
What is the biggest misconception about artists that you would like to demolish? Why so?
That an artist must go cold and hungry. This is complete nonsense. The artist must have a place to work, means and conditions.
What Social Media platforms do you use and where can people find your page?
Basically it’s Instagram and FB.
How can people order your paintings and is there a process to make the order? Can you make shipments to other countries?
You can just write to me on social networks. This is a very individual question. In times of peace, yes, I could send artworks. But now I’m not in Ukraine, while all of my paintings have remained there. I hope that soon everything will get back to how it was.
What advice would you give for an aspiring artist?
I do not remember where I read it, but the thought was that if you are able to not paint, if you can live without it, it is better to choose another profession. Because it is a way of life. Another piece of advice I once got is to never do something bad consciously. If you do it three times, you will never be able to do anything good again. I remember those words very well. There is also a lot to contemplate, analyze and feel and always continue to learn and never stop.