ARTIST INTERVIEW: OLHA TRACH
WHY DO YOU DO WHAT YOU DO?
Love. It is both source and the reason.
HOW DO YOU WORK?
Depends on whether you mean a commissioned work or a random work I create out of own impulse. End goal of both for me is – inspire enable support in other words SERVE others by reflecting, multiplying , aspiring love and beauty of the world even in sad situations some people may find themselves, or challenging situations – love is everywhere I believe, so is beauty.
When it is a custom work. Maybe it will sound weird, but i prepare materials and before starting i sit in front of canvas and ask to transmit to the canvas of custom artwork – whatever will serve heart of the client, the space Painting will live in. Hope it makes sense.
What is humbling, my education and professional background is in business science, so I never got art education and this ability to serve people through art came from above. It is a gift, to me it feels like a precious energy I am merely a vessel for. And it makes me feel happy, honored even.
You have no idea how strong of reaction some people have to these, how many times strangely these paintings made people cry of joy. No explanation for that.
More importantly I believe art is an attitude not just the kind of craft.
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE KNOWN FOR?
Transparency, modesty, love
WHAT’S YOUR BACKGROUND?
(HOW DID YOU START MAKING ART? / WHY DO YOU MAKE ART?)
Kind of odd long story. I always been drawn to art as observer, I’d save up money for art books since being a pupil in school. Later I’d go to every museum, gallery possible. Ever since school I taken a lot of photographs, people say I see beauty in most unexpected places, and have ability to show things from an angle that multiplies their ordinary beauty – while i never thought anything has got multiplied , merely captures things I saw.
Later after getting my MBA was working in one amazing company in UK, my boss knew how much I love moleskin, and I was given one every month for work notes. That is when during my lunch breaks I started sketching buildings (UK has some extraordinary architecture, especially Oxford, central London, Kent, Bristol).
Also, I downloaded a program on my iPad that would allow me to sketch too. One day while sketching and having a lunch a gentleman asked me if he can sit at my table in coffeeshop, he asked to see the sketches we spoke about art and later it appeared that he was a big scale artist who had his show a Few blocks away.( went and saw it later with friends) He told me one phrase he said ” keep feeding your gift and one day the gift will feed you.” since then I made a decision to draw something EVERY day, and I had – iPad, sketchbooks, napkins, crayons, everything I could find. Created pieces for friends, etc.
In a few years, I went thought a difficult time of losing a baby after Cruel behavior of my boyfriend back then. It was painful in every way, especially considering that I was alone in a foreign country Sinking in physical pain. Strangely, despite pain I felt a lot of love – love that was being neglected, abused, beaten. and I been a lot of love inside, and I started pouring it on canvas.
I poured the best part of me in canvas. It is only later with practice I realized that this love was too good too pure to be human to be mine, I became to realize this amazing energy is merely passing through me blessing me and everyone on its way with its warmth.
…and I am honored to share.
IS THERE ANY ONE THING THAT IS INTEGRAL TO YOUR WORK?
My biggest inspiration, intention, source is love – it is greatness I believe is most vividly depicted in nature, which most of my work is dedicated to.
IF SOMEONE WANTS TO BUY YOUR WORK OR HIRE YOU, HOW DO THEY REACH YOU?
Instagram, mobile phone / messages, Etsy shop, in person:)
