Katherine Skillings

Katherine Skillings is a Pittsburgh-based artist who works primarily with oil paints on canvas. She was born and raised in the South Hills and attended the Peters Township School District before attending West Virginia University. She is currently set to graduate in May 2026 with a BFA in Art Education, with an emphasis in Painting, and a Minor in Sports Coaching. Katherine hopes to continue to pursue her personalized art practice while teaching back in the Pittsburgh area for a while. She has been exhibited in the Juried Student Exhibition: WVU Art and Design (2026), Downtown Library Photo Exhibition: WVU Library x Education Abroad Program (2025), Birds: Women in Arts - Virtual Exhibition (2025), Reverberations: WVU Student Show at the Co-Op (2024), Mainstreet Morgantown - Painting 3 Window Display (2024), and Botanical: Laurel Arts Exhibit - Somerset, PA (2024).

"Within my work, I focus primarily on overstimulation and its effects through the lens of living with chronic pain. To process a life I could've had, one without constant discomfort, I create artificial landscapes of the constant buzz in my head. Through the honing of practical skills, I’ve achieved a solid grounding with my pieces, incorporating stylistic and symbolic imagery that reflect that focus. By using a patchwork style, I depict the complexities of feeling through a digital aesthetic blended with avian elements. This artistic approach develops an exterior snapshot of my experience and emotions through the motif of various birds, colorful splashes, and abstracted human forms. Essentially, I paint my daily contemplations and conflicts on the canvas, in a manner similar to a digital screen, bombarding the viewer with imagery, and allowing them to observe my inner workings."