In this video, the Mayor of Hastings shares his thoughts on my expressive artwork and the impact of my oil and acrylic paintings. His testimonial reflects an appreciation for the creativity, craftsmanship, and meaning behind each piece. I am honoured to have my work recognized in this way, especially during local art exhibitions, and to share his perspective with visitors to my website. This recognition from the Mayor, a significant figure in the community, means a lot to me as an artist, Olga Gertruda Totu.
Pandemic, isolation, social distancing, masks, and lockdown have become dismally common words these days. But Hastings artist Olga Gertruda Totu has managed to find plenty of consolation in her expressive artwork. "As bad as it was, lockdown for artists has actually been a blessing in a way," she says. "Looking back, being confined indoors has enabled me to lose myself in art, which has made me very productive. There is one problem though: it is harder to get your work seen and to be in front of the people who love art and appreciate art exhibitions." Her point is that you can always rely on art: "Art can be a source of comfort and reassurance in times of crisis. Our current situation, with billions of people cut off from their normal lives, is unprecedented. But in these moments, you start realizing who you actually feel close to and what you really like to do in your free time. You see yourself the way you are; you discover yourself with your limits and your strength because it’s so quiet, and it feels like time has stopped. "Originally from Romania, I moved to the UK in 2015 and settled in Hastings, which has always been an artists’ town. I have an extensive background in art, counting 23 years of intense passion since I first presented my oil and acrylic paintings to the public in 1998. As a teenager, I was inspired by impressionist painters and later fascinated by Dali, O’Keeffe, and Shishkin. "Lockdown has been a blessing for some artists. Not being able to travel or go out to meet friends made me direct my energy towards painting. Evenings and weekends, with music in the background, became a playful dance with brushes and colors on the canvas. In this dance, I found my strength, calm, and world, and through my art, I expose my inner feelings to everyone’s eyes. "When I paint, I feel fragile and powerful at the same time; I have the power to decide. I am in control. What inspires me can be a word, an image, or a color. All I need is the right mood, and the colors start telling the story. Yellow can speak about joy and sunny days, purple about elegance or a long-overdue hug, blue about the wind gently touching your skin, red about a flower’s perfume or a tear on your cheek. "Last year, between February 17-March 1, 2020, I had my last show in Hastings, exhibiting 40 paintings. I felt appreciated. With endless hours to kill indoors, now, in less than a year, I have created 50 new artworks ready to be seen by art lovers—portraits, landscapes, modern art, all waiting for galleries to open their doors to the public. "My nudes express the ideals of beauty and virtue, my horses express my need for freedom, my landscapes the desire to travel, and my flowers represent fragility."