Artist Spotlight: Olena

Our last retreat showed us how art can spark powerful and lasting connections. Art pushes us to play and experiment, think outside of the box, and share our vision with others. Each artist approaches their work in a unique way, and it is a true joy to see our artist partners and retreat participants leave their mark.

Today’s artist spotlight is on Olena of @jolly.lizard. Olena’s simple yet stunning patterns have captivated artists far and wide, providing beginner crocheters with elegant and attainable patterns.

To make things even more exciting, Olena’s retreat, Threads & Tiles, is kicking off today! We can’t wait to welcome a new cohort of crocheters to O House.

Olena has been crocheting since she was a child, and has grown her hobby into a full-time business. She has designed over 35 patterns, with more on the way. You will find an abundance of thoughtfully-designed granny squares in her patterns, as well as an emphasis on colorwork and simple techniques.

For Threads & Tiles, Olena will coach participants through a new pattern that she made especially for the retreat. Inspired by the iconic Portuguese azulejos, this pattern combines blue, gold, and white into tile-like granny squares, which come together to create a gorgeous tote bag. Participants will learn core techniques as their tote bags come to life. Not only will participants get in-depth and personalized instruction from Olena, but they will also see firsthand some of Portugal’s most beautiful tilework in Pena Palace.

When Olena isn’t crocheting, she enjoys hiking on Slovenia’s bountiful trails. We’re looking forward to showing her some of Ericeira’s coastal landscapes when we embark on a Guided Nature Hike this Wednesday. Nature and art complement each other in fascinating ways, so we are excited to bring the two together.

We are thrilled to be working with Olena, and can’t wait to see her Portugal-inspired pattern come to life right here in Ericeira.