Art by Olga Lobastova

My name is Olga and I have had a lifelong passion for music and art. As my children have grown up, I have redirected my free time toward studying painting more seriously. For the past four years I've taken courses with internationally-renowned artists covering many mediums, including oil, acrylic, gouache, watercolor, pastel, and more. I make my home-- and my art studio!-- in beautiful Wake Forest and love painting the beautiful scenery of our town. I also derive much of my inspiration from nature, including the beautiful pastoral settings of my childhood abroad. Many of my paintings and drawings are both inspired by and based off of actual imagery my husband and I have seen in our travels, and I especially enjoy plein-air painting.

I am an active member of Wake Forest Guild of artists and my works has been showcased within exhibits, small businesses, and at local galleries, such as the Renaissance Center of Wake Forest, the Wake Forest Community Library, and Frabjous Catfe.

I work full-time in the medical field but my other hobbies include singing in the NorthEast Piedmont Chorale, located in Wake Forest; volunteering at Safe Haven for Cats; and playing a little piano and cello (which I learned as an adult - it's never too late!). I also enjoy traveling; just this year, my husband and I have traveled to the Outer Banks, the south of France; Monaco; Helsinki, Finland; and Talinn, Estonia.

Poetry by Steve Cushman

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