Ole Karako

: May 2020

: 350

(68)

Ukraine

  • I still decided to continue painting... no matter what...

    I still decided to continue painting... no matter what...

    A few days ago, I woke up in the middle of the night from a terrifying explosion. It was the scariest, loudest explosion I have ever heard or felt. It was a Russian ballistic missile that exploded just a three-minute walk from my house. And I thought I was born again and maybe I should leave my beloved country because I don’t know how many lives I have left. I spent 10 years of my life buying a space for my workshop. And now what? Should I just leave everything behind and go? Quit painting? Do something else? Everything in this world is possible, but it’s very limited by time. And it’s important to want... Every time I ask myself – 'Do I want this? Do I want that?' For now, I’m enjoying the autumn and a very productive atmosphere when I manage to get some sleep (if I slept through the night air raid alert). Also, I released a children's book on Amazon, but more about that later. First, I want to get a few copies myself – that’s quite the quest. Amazon doesn’t want to ship books to Ukraine. That’s the situation…

    15 September 2024
    Bouquet of Peonies

    Bouquet of Peonies

    Today I finally decided to buy a bouquet of these beautiful peonies. Why "decided"? Because in Ukraine, due to the war waged by Russia, flowers are very expensive. Every day they become more and more expensive. Five flowers cost 35 dollars. And how about in your countries? How much does a bouquet of 5 peonies cost?

    26 April 2024
    ❤️❤️❤️

    ❤️❤️❤️

    Thank you, ARTLOVERS ❤️❤️❤️!!!

    01 March 2024
    I'm back on top again!

    I'm back on top again!

    I'm back on top again! I'm so happy! ❤️❤️❤️

    11 February 2024
    Plein air in Kyiv

    Plein air in Kyiv

    This is a gouache painting done outdoors. It was a wonderful autumn day, and I decided to go plein air painting because the golden days of autumn are coming to an end this year. I packed a whole cart of materials, tools, and equipment because I planned not only to paint but also to shoot a short video of the process, which you can find on my Instagram (olekarako).

    03 November 2023
    New Artists Fair - London 2023 - Truman Browery

    New Artists Fair - London 2023 - Truman Browery

    During the last weekend of September, there was a fair where I participated with 30 etudes. I managed to sell two paintings. I received wonderful reviews and often saw tears in the eyes of the visitors. These were tears of happiness, childhood memories, and touching emotions. There was also a lot of love and hugs. English people! - you are incredible!

    04 October 2023
    New Artists Fair

    New Artists Fair

    In London

    01 October 2023
    Hooray! I'm back on top!

    Hooray! I'm back on top!

    35th place in the top! This winter of 2022-2023, I had to leave for warm countries for 3 months. This was because the Russians bombed our power system. Living without electricity and heating in sub-zero temperatures was very difficult. And, of course, the store wasn't operational. I returned to Kyiv at the end of February and got back to work. How long do you think it took to resume sales? Six months!!!! Six months of intense work to bring back sales! I shudder to think about the upcoming winter...

    13 August 2023
    NEAR THE UNDERGROUND PASSAGE

    NEAR THE UNDERGROUND PASSAGE

    A Summer Day in Kyiv. Young people are resting, sitting on the parapet of an underground passage. They chat, joke, and encourage each other in a friendly manner. Can you guess from this picture that there is a war going on right now? When it's over, we won't even want to remember this summer of 2023 in Ukraine. We'll want to forever forget this time, only quietly grieving for the lost. This war has taken away hundreds of thousands of wonderful people. 'Never Again' - are you familiar with this phrase? Yet, war never truly ends. After all, we don't think about it when it's far away... And we only become horrified when it touches us personally. When our loved ones die, who could have lived and continued to live. When a modern city turns into ruins in a matter of months. When we can't comprehend how people can be so cruel. When the entire world watches as a nuclear superpower deals with unarmed Ukraine, expecting heroism from us. Such is life now...

    08 August 2023

    Buky Canyon

    Buky is a small village in the Cherkasy region of Ukraine. It has beautiful granite cliffs and a small mountain river. Everything needed for a picturesque plein air. I've wanted to come here with my oil paints and brushes for a long time, and now I'm here. Three full days and six paintings; I painted as much as the weather allowed. There's a calming tranquility, if you don't count the constant wailing of the air raid siren, which is now present in any part of Ukraine. Still, I managed to enjoy the pleasant sound of the mountain river, the amazing sunrises, and the warm orange sunsets. Back in Kyiv, I returned filled with the magical power of Buky Canyon. This same power is imbued in my new paintings. Can you feel this power too?

    04 August 2023
    NYVKY PARK

    NYVKY PARK

    On that day, it was very overcast, and I decided to go on an outdoor painting session in the park, which is located near my home. There were few people around, and I settled on an empty bench with a nice view of the lake. I set up my new mini easel, which I had personally crafted a few days ago, and quickly started arranging my composition based on color patches. The rain began to drizzle. Raindrops fell on my palette, looking like transparent beads, and I thought, "Good thing the paint is oil-based and doesn't mix with water." Ducks swam by, not even attempting to seek shelter from the rain, seemingly enjoying the weather. Watching them, I stopped worrying about my clothes getting wet and completely immersed myself in my art, forgetting about everything else.

    28 July 2023
    PEOPLE IN CITY PARK

    PEOPLE IN CITY PARK

    I was heading to the city center, to some bustling recreational spot. Near the Golden Gate, there's a small square with a street café where I ordered a Coffee-Tonic and settled on a bench to draw people. The cozy evening rays of the setting sun slid away like snails. People on the benches changed, and only the elderly lingered a little longer, giving me the opportunity to capture them in my sketch. In this ever-changing dynamic, I had to grasp the composition because it was just a moment. A moment of life plucked from the vast ocean of time...

    23 July 2023