Hello! My name is Abigail Skorenkyi, I am a painter and Illustrator based in southern Minnesota. I enjoy various media while practicing and nurturing the skills I have!
I am a vessel created by the creator to do His work.
So why paint? When faced with this question I think of the runner, Eric Liddell’s quote,“I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast! And when I run I feel His pleasure.” This is like painting. God has placed purpose and meaning in my life, along with the competence to paint. It has become my responsibility and my love. C.S. Lewis describes this feeling as the “Secret thread or the secret signature of our souls… an inkling of that something which you were born desiring.” God did not only create what was purely functional, but He created the beautiful and the delicate in this world as well. In this way, he offers us a small glimpse of heaven. In response, I attempt to appreciate His creation and capture it in the best way I can. The paintbrush has become a bridge from my mind to the canvas.
I like to think of painting like basketball or dance. First in regard to basketball, instead of being a spectator and watching the game unfold, I have placed myself in the position to participate. For me, walking through a museum is not like a simple stroll through the park. It is an inspiration and motivator for my own work. A basketball player watches a game and wants to play, so a museum is the “game film” in a way. The paintings are the aftermath of the game. Dancing, on the other hand, is all about movement, or process. A dancer drowns out the noise and exists in that moment, blocking out the environment around. Similar to this, painting is about the moment. Time, work, and every thing that flashes around you becomes irrelevant. In this way, the process is just as important as the product. Through the development of a painting, its meaning becomes more clear. I value the solitary moments that no one else witnesses. The process is beautiful, and it brings me a joy I find hard to describe. It’s my hope that others might feel the same joy that I have.
My influences are varied and extensive. I love the way Caravaggio handles soft and harsh light, the way Sorolla indicates light reflecting off white drapery, Van Gogh’s reluctance to blend the paint, Michelangelo’s realism, Cezanne’s exploratory brushstrokes, and Rockwell’s ability to portray a warm life experience. The best artists deliver something unique and meaningful, and I am influenced and motivated by all of these. Although I believe I do not need to paint like the artists I admire, their work informs and motivates mine.
This being said, while I enjoy my work as an artist, the outcome of each painting is important, when it comes to the audience. I think there's a time to paint for the pleasure of it, but also a time to paint with a message in mind. I want my audience to feel something, to discover meaning and wonder, to enjoy the ambiguous. A Imgae can bring understanding, discovering, encouragement, motivation, joy, sadness, love and so much more.
I am a vessel created by the creator to do His work.
So why paint? When faced with this question I think of the runner, Eric Liddell’s quote,“I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast! And when I run I feel His pleasure.” This is like painting. God has placed purpose and meaning in my life, along with the competence to paint. It has become my responsibility and my love. C.S. Lewis describes this feeling as the “Secret thread or the secret signature of our souls… an inkling of that something which you were born desiring.” God did not only create what was purely functional, but He created the beautiful and the delicate in this world as well. In this way, he offers us a small glimpse of heaven. In response, I attempt to appreciate His creation and capture it in the best way I can. The paintbrush has become a bridge from my mind to the canvas.
I like to think of painting like basketball or dance. First in regard to basketball, instead of being a spectator and watching the game unfold, I have placed myself in the position to participate. For me, walking through a museum is not like a simple stroll through the park. It is an inspiration and motivator for my own work. A basketball player watches a game and wants to play, so a museum is the “game film” in a way. The paintings are the aftermath of the game. Dancing, on the other hand, is all about movement, or process. A dancer drowns out the noise and exists in that moment, blocking out the environment around. Similar to this, painting is about the moment. Time, work, and every thing that flashes around you becomes irrelevant. In this way, the process is just as important as the product. Through the development of a painting, its meaning becomes more clear. I value the solitary moments that no one else witnesses. The process is beautiful, and it brings me a joy I find hard to describe. It’s my hope that others might feel the same joy that I have.
My influences are varied and extensive. I love the way Caravaggio handles soft and harsh light, the way Sorolla indicates light reflecting off white drapery, Van Gogh’s reluctance to blend the paint, Michelangelo’s realism, Cezanne’s exploratory brushstrokes, and Rockwell’s ability to portray a warm life experience. The best artists deliver something unique and meaningful, and I am influenced and motivated by all of these. Although I believe I do not need to paint like the artists I admire, their work informs and motivates mine.
This being said, while I enjoy my work as an artist, the outcome of each painting is important, when it comes to the audience. I think there's a time to paint for the pleasure of it, but also a time to paint with a message in mind. I want my audience to feel something, to discover meaning and wonder, to enjoy the ambiguous. A Imgae can bring understanding, discovering, encouragement, motivation, joy, sadness, love and so much more.