Jashe Oltuski- Artist | Illustrator | Sculptor | Muralist & Catherine Malvicino – Creative Director | Artist | Muralist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jashe Oltuski  – Catherine Malvicino and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jashe and Catherine, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Jashe, my sister in law and I ( Catherine ) used to work together in the hospitality industry. Long hours, we would sacrifice vacation days and much more. One day we got to talking and venting about our day to day and decided we wanted freedom, and to manage our time as we saw fit, but most importantly to do something that made us happy. Our goal was to spend more time with our families and not have that financial tie to a job. So we took a leap, and since we both had a background in art and loved anything related, we decided to offer our art/mural services. That’s where Murals by Oltuski Art came to life.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?

Oltuski Art was founded with the idea that we can help people express their ideas through our brush strokes. We wanted to create murals that would stand out through our own style. One of the things that sets us apart from others is that we focus on using recycled material to create some of our art pieces.

Jashe:

I was born and raised in Cuba. I graduated with a Bachelors in art, at San Alejandro Academy of Art. Here is where I realized that art is everything and anything, where the possibilities to create are endless.

Based on the circumstances that we were living in my country, I was forced to learn to use any material that was easy to find to  be able to create what I considered a piece of art. In my eyes everything had potential. So I started to recycle what I found valuable for my creativity. Materials such as doors, tables, mirrors, wood, and canvas of course are the main bases I used to paint. Some people’s trash can become others treasures. This challenged me to see art in a completely different perspective.

Catherine:

I graduated with a BA in Fashion design form Miami international University of Art and Design. my passion is anything design. I love to create. I do anything from graphic design to web design and like that my list goes on. When it comes to Oltuski Art, I’m the creative director, the one that comes up with the concept of things.

In our day to day we are constantly faced with obstacles and are learning how to grow from them. Whether it’s from the type of art a client wants and trying to figure out how we incorporate our touch to it, to materials and textures we are faced with that can make our process a bit more difficult We are always searching for the next project that will fill us with that sense of satisfaction.

We are two sisters that crave creativity. We love to paint, and create. We both compliment each other and that’s what makes us a great team. One has the ability to create a vision and the other can put that vision on paper without hesitation. We then put that vision on a wall/ Canvas / Door/ and make it come to life.

We have learned many lessons. At first we would really underestimate the amount of work some of our art pieces required, and like any starting artist it was hard to price things so that it would make sense. Today we value what we do in a whole other way. We really understand that not everyone will appreciate the work that is put into our art and that’s ok. We take on projects that will give us satisfaction. If we feel that a client is not to par with our values then we will pass on the project. At the end of the day our goal is to love what we do.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
So it’s needless to say that some of the most beautiful places in Miami consist of our beaches. We would take our besties to SOBE for a day in the sun. I would take her to Wynwood to see the walls and all the different artists that have left their imprint there. We also love our dose of nature, one of the spots that inspire us and bring us peace if Fairchild Garden. The plants and the lighting always get to us. One of our favorite spots to eat is a small restaurant called Shibui. ( best sushi ever). We would have drinks in MILA ( on South beach ).

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?

Jashe Oltuski – I was  5 and I still remember the smell of gypsum from my mom’s workshop. The first time she let me try her oil pastels and I had that texture fall apart in my hands as I put pressure on the paper, that’s when I knew I fell in love. That’s the day I decided that this was what I wanted to do the rest of my life.

Catherine Malvicino – I grew up in a creative household, from having musicians in the family to designers, or simply being surrounded by doers. I always felt the urge to create and make things on my own.

We are both very grateful to our family, Our husbands and moms that make our job possible. If it wasn’t for them holding down the fort at home we wouldn’t be able to express our creativity through our art.

Website: www.oltuskiart.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/murals_by_oltuskiart/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oltuskiart