By Evelyn Tu
Creativity, entrepreneurial, and multitalented are qualities that Collingwood student Olivia Okano perfectly embodies. A current Grade 9, Olivia has a broad realm of interests. Soccer, field hockey, and baking are only a segment of the long list of hobbies and sports she cites. But most notably, this young artist expresses her endless flow of imagination in beautifully drawn artwork and has even forged a successful business selling her pieces. Olivia has always lived in Vancouver and has been attending Collingwood since Kindergarten. Despite believing that her artwork is a manifestation of purely her own thoughts, she acknowledges that living on the North Shore has greatly influenced her artistry. Okano believes that the abundance of surrounding greenery has added unique flourishes of fauna to her designs. She also references the majestic landscape of the West Coast as backdrops to her pieces.
Okano’s passion for art blossomed at a young age. This adept artist pinpoints her lessons at the well-known Canadian art studio 4 Cats as what sowed her initial seed of interest. However, it was her own ambition that nurtured her talent. Olivia utilizes an old treehouse in her backyard as her makeshift studio and doodles on her iPad every opportunity she gets. At school, she adores her art class where she’s able to dedicate an immense amount of time on developing her skills as an artist. Her talent was also recognized by our headmistress Ms. Evans when she requested one of Olivia’s pieces to be displayed in her office. Through her dedicated exploration of all visual art forms, she’s found that her love lay with hand-lettering and acrylic pieces.
In 2019, Olivia started Liv’s Lettering Co. on the platform Redbubble as an outlet for her digitally drawn designs. Her initial postings of wall art and stickers were targeted for the upcoming Collingwood Spring Fair. Since then, she’s learned how to better utilize her platform to bring attention to her beautiful pieces and even sell them to an audience. Currently, her Redbubble page holds merchandise ranging from stickers to greeting cards, to t-shirts and totes, to mugs and even masks. Okano takes great pride in her pieces and each purchase from her customers manifests great satisfaction.
Underneath the layer of talent, skill, and drive lies a firm philosophy. Olivia believes that art is unique because it centres around and celebrates the artist’s individuality. It’s an expression of personality, personal preference, and individual experience. An artist is able to be the master of their craft throughout the creative process. Therefore, no two works will be identical due to the number of variables that affect it. As Olivia eloquently states, “iIn the end, your art displays a tiny sliver of you and who you are”.
Despite her already amazing achievements, Olivia has greater goals for the future. Her most prominent aspiration would be to start an entirely self-dependant Etsy or online shop. Okano looks forward to being completely in charge of her creation, packaging, and shipping process which would promote the sense of individuality she strives for. She believes that her passion for art will follow her wherever her future leads her. But in the end, Olivia’s has immensely benefited from the mindset, perseverance, and character that art has brought into her life.
Creativity, entrepreneurial, and multitalented are qualities that Collingwood student Olivia Okano perfectly embodies. A current Grade 9, Olivia has a broad realm of interests. Soccer, field hockey, and baking are only a segment of the long list of hobbies and sports she cites. But most notably, this young artist expresses her endless flow of imagination in beautifully drawn artwork and has even forged a successful business selling her pieces. Olivia has always lived in Vancouver and has been attending Collingwood since Kindergarten. Despite believing that her artwork is a manifestation of purely her own thoughts, she acknowledges that living on the North Shore has greatly influenced her artistry. Okano believes that the abundance of surrounding greenery has added unique flourishes of fauna to her designs. She also references the majestic landscape of the West Coast as backdrops to her pieces.
Okano’s passion for art blossomed at a young age. This adept artist pinpoints her lessons at the well-known Canadian art studio 4 Cats as what sowed her initial seed of interest. However, it was her own ambition that nurtured her talent. Olivia utilizes an old treehouse in her backyard as her makeshift studio and doodles on her iPad every opportunity she gets. At school, she adores her art class where she’s able to dedicate an immense amount of time on developing her skills as an artist. Her talent was also recognized by our headmistress Ms. Evans when she requested one of Olivia’s pieces to be displayed in her office. Through her dedicated exploration of all visual art forms, she’s found that her love lay with hand-lettering and acrylic pieces.
In 2019, Olivia started Liv’s Lettering Co. on the platform Redbubble as an outlet for her digitally drawn designs. Her initial postings of wall art and stickers were targeted for the upcoming Collingwood Spring Fair. Since then, she’s learned how to better utilize her platform to bring attention to her beautiful pieces and even sell them to an audience. Currently, her Redbubble page holds merchandise ranging from stickers to greeting cards, to t-shirts and totes, to mugs and even masks. Okano takes great pride in her pieces and each purchase from her customers manifests great satisfaction.
Underneath the layer of talent, skill, and drive lies a firm philosophy. Olivia believes that art is unique because it centres around and celebrates the artist’s individuality. It’s an expression of personality, personal preference, and individual experience. An artist is able to be the master of their craft throughout the creative process. Therefore, no two works will be identical due to the number of variables that affect it. As Olivia eloquently states, “iIn the end, your art displays a tiny sliver of you and who you are”.
Despite her already amazing achievements, Olivia has greater goals for the future. Her most prominent aspiration would be to start an entirely self-dependant Etsy or online shop. Okano looks forward to being completely in charge of her creation, packaging, and shipping process which would promote the sense of individuality she strives for. She believes that her passion for art will follow her wherever her future leads her. But in the end, Olivia’s has immensely benefited from the mindset, perseverance, and character that art has brought into her life.
