Louise Olko was born in 1959 in Colonia , New Jersey USA. As a youth, inherently her artistic passions developed while pursuing an intensive course of study for classical ballet at the New Jersey Dance Theatre Guild (NJDTG). Louise thrived and excelled at NJDTG by scoring excellent marks in technique and performance. Academically she was recognized for her scholastic achievements . Louise then shifted her focus to foster a career in business, where she forged skills in the art of advertising , leadership and management ,marketing and visual merchandising . Her family's business had also cultivated an interest in fine jewelry, which led her to become the youngest divisional executive for a major NYC fine jewelry company by the age of 29. Success followed her business career, leading her to live and travel throughout the United States and abroad. Throughout her life, she never lost sight of her artistic origins for classical art ,ballet and modern dance and continued classes to harness skills in drawing ,oil painting ,pastel ,sculpture and music.
Louise has continued to remain vigilant for aligning her passion for the arts with a dedication to her classical studies. Her early works were influenced by contemporary artists such as Georgia O'Keefe, Andrew Wythe, John Singer Sargent ,Edgar Degas and Mary Cassatt.Her works have been included in juried shows in and around the Midwest winning awards and recognition. In 2009 as a member of the International Association of Pastel Societies she was awarded a scholarship to further her studies . In 2011 she was given an opportunity to pursue a career in Fine Arts , and moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota to begin a course of full time studies at The Atelier Studio Program of Fine Art . In 2014, with an insatiable thirst for knowledge she began to explore the facets of European Art and moved to Florence, Italy to study oil painting with Michael John Angel at the Angel Academy of Fine Art, where she focused on figurative and still life oil painting .She has traveled extensively throughout Italy and Europe to study the works of European masters which continue to influence her work today. Upon receiving a three year certificate of completion she entered an Intensive Program of Study at the St. Petersburg Academy of Fine Arts in Florence , Italy. Where in 2022 she completed her four years of study for figurative drawing and painting , anatomy and art restoration . Additionally, she studied classical portraiture with Matthew James Collins .
She continued to pursue knowledge and practice in the ancient medium of Egg Tempera studying with Michael Bergt and combines this with her vision to revisit myths , parables and societal axioms from a contemporary standpoint as reflected in her diploma work .
In Louise's personal artwork , she also explores the use of photography and as she finds joy in expressing the beauty of life experiences and inviting viewers to step into the captivating world of her subjects . Her intensive studies with commercial photographer David Ginsberg have led her to also attain skills in studio photography and lighting .
These elements resonate with the study of inner personal character that has been inherently present throughout her artistic journey from dance to humanities which are now connected through the mediums of photography , oil paint ,pastel , egg tempera ,tempera ,charcoal , sanguine and sepia , graphite and sculpture .
Louise's work has been exhibited in America and in Europe .She enjoys working with clients on both continents .
