Maker series: Olga Hegner

Photo: Dana Klein.

Olga Hegner was surprised when she discovered that painting is what she always wanted to do in her life. She did not paint or draw when she was growing up but did take regular trips to museums. She earned her Juris Doctor in Moscow, and her Master of Law degree at the University of Illinois. She was a successful lawyer, but times changed, and she was looking for something that would really occupy her time and be interesting. She decided to learn how to draw, so she took some programs in local schools and at the Kimball Art Center. 

“Drawing skills are very important to me. I would like to have a good drawing as a basis for my paintings, and I am willing to take the time and effort to develop and perfect this skill,” says Olga. “An online classic drawing course was offered in perfect time for me, and I am enjoying every minute, or hour, of it, although it is not an easy one.”

Olga believes everyone should keep learning. She started her path towards being a professional artist in 2010. She loves painting outside and painting from life. While she does take photographs of scenes she wants to paint, she is not a fan of photorealistic painting. She believes a good photograph is art in itself. However, some subjects—animals, for example—are difficult to paint without the use of a photograph.

She also remembers a photoshoot of cowboy scenes in Wyoming some years ago. She was not very enthusiastic about taking photos and wanted to paint from life, but the photographs she took became an important source of her later paintings of cowboys, horses, and dogs. 

Olga considers herself to have been incredibly lucky when she joined Create PC’s artist community. “They help the artist community financially, emotionally, and are part of the vibe in Park City,” she says. While she has now moved to her own space one floor above Create PC’s artist spaces, you can still find her work in the Create PC Gallery at 1500 Kearns Blvd, Space F110, in Park City. If you would like to see more of her work, email her at olgahegner@gmail.com.

Olga Hegner paints and draws from the life that surrounds her. She has found her own style, which includes still-life images and scenes from real life with a hint of abstract elements. If you visit her studio, you will see walls full of her images presented salon-style. You might even imagine you are in a museum.