Issue 12. Interview with the artist. Valentin Skachkov. Tsarskoye Selo. Under the golden domes.
The renowned St. Petersburg artist Valentin Skachkov lives and works primarily in Pushkin. It is truly a fairytale city, the embodiment of the Russian soul, a stronghold of Russian history.
The artist's father was an icon painter and photographer. It seems he inherited his monumental style and the scale of his canvases from him...
Ilsia Kuznetsova, author and host of the video project "Art-Nashestvie," came with a film crew to the town of Pushkin near St. Petersburg.
Standing on the bank of the moat near the Catherine Palace, you begin to understand the special feeling of something vast, important, and historical. It was here that Ilsia met the artist Valentin Skachkov.
"I paint for a long time," says Valentin. "That's just my nature."
And there's no arguing with that. We visited various artists, and we realized that they were completely different, both in nature and temperament...
Valentin recalls that "yes, there were times when some close people refused to communicate with me when I started selling out."
While success is always unique, this time it's very simple and requires only one thing: the beauty around you for inspiration, for penetrating the true essence of that beauty.
"But I'm all for artists communicating, sharing. So that they could have a social circle and offer advice to each other, not like now, when everyone is on their own," the artist laments.
Continuing with the theme of communication and interaction between artists, Valentin Skachkov recalls a simple incident from his creative life: "I'm mixing paint here, and I see green and mustard, and then they tell me, 'That's a common technique! But I didn't know that! You have to share!'"
Pushkin is not an ordinary city; until 1918, it was the very same "Tsarskoye Selo." And, of course, a special, warm atmosphere has developed there.
Valentin Skachkov explains: "There's the Tsarskoye Selo Union of Artists in Pushkino. We travel the world, putting on exhibitions." This special, warm atmosphere is indescribable; you just have to experience it.
The artist also shared some of his secrets: "Paints. Where are they from, what are they like? You need to varnish the canvases every two years to create a protective layer."
But is everyone ready for this? Not always. According to Valentin Skachkov, many are put off by this precision, adherence to standards and canons. "Some think my canvases are of poor quality. But anyone who graduated from the academy knows about these technologies," the artist reminds.
"You need to care for a canvas like you would a child," says Valentin Skachkov. And you believe his words, for he himself seems like a child, as if he'd just picked up a brush and begun painting with oils...
But despite this simplicity, the artist creates large, enormous canvases that combine landscapes and faces, and the worldview coalesces into a unique, colorful world, an indescribable vision and the artist's unique perspective on that very world.
Recalling the history of icon painting, Valentin recounts how icons were painted by candlelight, and viewed by candlelight.
"The color palette remained intact. Even now, it's very difficult to convey and understand," the artist notes.
The artist is in great demand. At a recent exhibition in Harbin, China, 100 of his works were sold at once. But the artist is happy: "Let them buy."
"It's difficult to convey landscape and architecture in a painting," the artist says of his works. "But a lot depends on the current mood. Painting is instantaneous."
We witnessed the master paint a huge canvas with our own eyes… a multitude of characters, action—it's truly astounding! But Valentin Skachkov is a unique artist, with hundreds of paintings from dozens of countries, especially tropical climates.
A light, almost childlike approach to creativity is his foundation, his signature, his strong point.
"I bought myself, painted, and bought myself again," the artist recalls. And perhaps this is what makes him special—incredible precision and professionalism, set against the backdrop of the true detachment of a master. And a true Creator.