Painting, New to One of a Kind, Woman-Owned
Anna Cherkashina Fine Art
Expressive paintings of Chicago
I am a Chicago-based artist working in oils and acrylics. I combine realism and impressionism in my paintings, with my primary topics being Chicago cityscapes, Midwest landscapes and and Lake Michigan.
I am captivated by light — not just as an element of painting, but as a fleeting presence that transforms everything it touches. My work explores the subtle and profound ways light interacts with the world around us: the hush of morning fog, the golden clarity of midday, the saturated stillness of sunset.
I paint what I call “color moments”- scenes where light and time intersect to create something emotionally charged yet momentary. I am especially drawn to painting en plein air, where I can respond directly to the shifting light and atmosphere. These sessions often inspire larger studio pieces that build on the initial impression.
My practice balances intuition and plein air observation. While rooted in realism, my approach is painterly and expressive — I let the brush respond to the mood of the moment rather than replicate it precisely. The goal is not to copy what I see, but to translate a feeling: warmth, calm, tension, awe. Through my work, I invite the viewer to slow down — to see not just the world, but the light that shapes it, the time of day that defines and the emotional resonance it leaves behind.
I am captivated by light — not just as an element of painting, but as a fleeting presence that transforms everything it touches. My work explores the subtle and profound ways light interacts with the world around us: the hush of morning fog, the golden clarity of midday, the saturated stillness of sunset.
I paint what I call “color moments”- scenes where light and time intersect to create something emotionally charged yet momentary. I am especially drawn to painting en plein air, where I can respond directly to the shifting light and atmosphere. These sessions often inspire larger studio pieces that build on the initial impression.
My practice balances intuition and plein air observation. While rooted in realism, my approach is painterly and expressive — I let the brush respond to the mood of the moment rather than replicate it precisely. The goal is not to copy what I see, but to translate a feeling: warmth, calm, tension, awe. Through my work, I invite the viewer to slow down — to see not just the world, but the light that shapes it, the time of day that defines and the emotional resonance it leaves behind.
