Meet the Artist

An avid artist since she could hold a paintbrush, Rachel Ankirskiy is a mostly self-taught artist based out of Athens, Georgia. Born and raised in Middle Georgia, she was immersed in artistic endeavors and nature from an early age. Rachel does not have a formal art degree, and instead holds a BA and MA in Linguistics from the University of Georgia. Rachel currently works mainly in watercolor, oil, and acrylic with a focus on landscape paintings, nature, and animal portraits. She seeks to express her deep appreciation of the natural world through her art.

On the weekends you can find Rachel at a local or state park painting ‘en plein air’, (on location), braving the natural elements to capture the essence of the natural world in an impressionist style. She also works in her small studio space surrounded by her art, where she produces larger and more detailed pieces. Her paintings focus on the interplay of light and color in the natural world, and reflect her deep respect for nature. Her respect for the natural world doesn’t stop at trees and water; her pet portraits are very personal, capturing each pet’s unique personality.

Rachel actively participates in local, state, and national competitions and shows. In middle and high school, she entered and won awards in local and national shows. In college she continued to hone her artistic skills, always keeping a sketchbook handy. While studying abroad in Japan, she sketched in the open air or ‘en plein air’ at parks and cultural sites. In 2022, her plein air watercolor landscape, “Bear Sighting at Dockery Lake”, was juried into the Lyndon House 47th Juried Show in Athens, GA standing out as the only traditional landscape painting. In 2023, her oil landscape, “Guardian”, and acrylic landscape, “Sentinel”, were accepted into the Lyndon House 48th Juried Show in Athens, GA. Her plein air watercolor landscape of the Ocmulgee River, “Swirling Serenity”, was juried into the 2023 Georgia Watercolor Society’s National Exhibition in Blue Ridge, GA. Eight of her pieces (4 acrylic, 1 oil, and 3 watercolor) were juried into the 2023 Georgia National Fair’s Fine Art Show (Professional Category) In October 2023, she held a joint show with her brother, Joshua Hatfield, at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia in Athens, GA. In 2024 she received two merit awards for her acrylic paintings juried into the 2024 Georgia National Fair's Fine Art Show (Professional Category). Her watercolor landscape “Reflections on Hitchiti Trail” was on display in the Art of Georgia IV: Landscapes exhibition at the State of Georgia Capitol from 2024-2025. In 2025, she received 3rd place at the Community Paintquick hosted by Georgia Color in Savannah Georgia, a competition during which artists have 2 hours to complete and frame a painting in plein air. 

Her artworks, including several commissions, hang in private collections around the world. She is currently working several series, including one of landscape paintings inspired by photos and sketches she made in Japan, and one of oil and acrylic paintings reflecting on the importance of nature. 

Rachel’s original paintings can be purchased directly. Some work is available in the Ocmulgee Arts gallery in Macon, GA. She is also available for commissions. Contact Rachel directly with inquiries. 

(Note that this website is a portfolio; not all paintings displayed here are available.)

All copyright and reproduction rights are retained by the artist. ©2020-2025 Rachel Ankirskiy