Halifax artist’s paintings line the walls of movie sets

Evgenia Makogon’s paintings have appeared in numerous movies, but seeing one for the first time this past Christmas was special, she told The Signal in an interview at her home in Bedford. 

Sitting in her sunlit home surrounded by her colourful paintings, she recalled the moment she realized one of them was featured in the 2023 Hallmark movie Christmas Island, set and filmed in Nova Scotia.  

“My friend told me she was watching this movie called Christmas Island and the art looked like it was of Peggy’s Cove,” Makogon said.  

“I looked up the trailer and the first thing I saw was my painting!” 

The 49-year-old grew up in Sochi, Russia, and moved to Halifax in 1997 with her parents where she built a career as a full-time artist. Her paintings are frequently rented out for film productions from Teichert Gallery on Hollis Street in Halifax. 

While Makogon’s paintings have been in multiple movies, her oil painting Early Bright was the first one she saw on screen. 

She noticed her painting in the movie when the familiar colours of Peggy’s Cove appeared, framed by twinkling Christmas lights in the main character’s home.  

The scene shows the main character entering their home with a basket, setting the tone for an intimate and cosy setting. The painting’s depiction of Peggy’s Cove strengthens the film’s Nova Scotia backdrop, blending into the movie’s coastal esthetic.  

Makogon’s work has a timeless appeal and her paintings evoke a sense of place and nostalgia.  

She has built a family of artists, as her two daughters, Domino and Tatyana Ranaivo, are pursuing dance and have nothing but beaming pride for their mother’s success.  

“I really appreciate what she does as an artist, she is the most talented person I have ever met and I wish that I could do what she does,” Domino, 18, said in an interview at their home. 

Makogon reflects on her career, sitting at the dining room table where each painting is made. She offered freshly steeped tea and homemade truffles during the conversation.  

Her eagerness to share her life’s work is compelling as she floats around the living room in her summery white blouse and skirt, pulling out archives of her pieces. 

One of her most prized possessions is her large-scale painting Green Python, hung above her dining room table.  

This was her final piece for her painting studio class and graduation project at NSCAD University in Halifax, where her career began selling her work at the student art store.  

Her mantel is filled with her lively pieces showcasing her career timeline and Nova Scotia’s beautiful scenery. 

Makogon’s collection features watercolour and oil paintings, from abstract still life to iconic coastal Nova Scotia scenes, including the Hydrostone Market, Peggy’s Cove, and Lunenburg.  

She also portrays Halifax street scenes in both winter and summer, along with everyday moments that celebrate life’s simplicity.  

The stairway leading to her living room and kitchen is lined with vibrant paintings, adding warmth and colour to the white walls.  

In the corner of her living room, canvases and easels show her works in progress, offering a glimpse into her creative process.  

Her paintings available in Teichert Gallery are rented every time there is a film made in Halifax.  

The television series Sullivan’s Crossing has bought some of her paintings to be featured on their set.  

One of her first larger oil paintings Morning Ride (90 by 150 cm) has been in countless movies throughout the years filmed in Halifax. It was sold through Teichert Gallery in 2021 by a local for $5,000.  

“This was very exciting and it was the biggest painting I had ever sold,” Makogon said.  

Makogon’s 23-year-old daughter Tatyana admires her mother’s perseverance.  

“I really look up to her and I’m also in the art industry so I admire how hardworking she is and how she perseveres through any situation, especially through the pandemic when that was really hard,” Ranaivo said.  

“There are always hard points when growing as an artist and getting your art seen but she is very good at using social media, which helps.” 

Makogon said being a freelance artist can be discouraging and hard.  

“I find that I am having an artist block right now, I am tired of painting the same thing over and over again,” she said. 

She is working on something different and what she’s always loved but hasn’t had the chance to for the past few years.  

“I am painting sweet things, paintings of cakes, coffee, tea, strawberries, flowers, and cafes.” 

Her inspiration and motivation come from knowing that people like her paintings and want them in their homes. 

“Every time my paintings sell, it gives me more motivation not only because I need to make a living but also that people like them.” 

“Instagram likes, comments, and purchases are all motivational as an artist because I am being appreciated.”