STROUDSBURG, Pa. — Andrei Protsouk, of Stroudsburg, is an artist who uses his work to tell stories and share emotions.
"You have to get your feelings out; that's the whole idea of art," Protsouk said.
Through his new piece, "Passion Week," the Ukrainian native hopes to capture the emotion he feels as he watches what happens in his home country.
"Looking at the war with my own eyes, it's very dramatic," Protsouk said. "It's just unbearable. So that's why I want to donate and help to finish that war."
His painting "Passion Week" is part of a series called "Still Alive."
All of which have an important meaning.
"The Jux position of the bullets and the grenades and the ammunition is showing you know the fact that there are blurred lines between the Ukrainian and Russian cultures, which are very similar. You know you have the sunflowers that are the national flower of the country," said Dennis Protsouk, Andrei's son.
"Passion Week" will be auctioned off Saturday at a fundraiser and concert. All the money raised will go to the non-profit Dominican Friars, a group that works with Ukrainian refugees.
"The Dominican Friars have people in Poland who are helping them with food, water, supplies, and medical assistance," Andrei's son Dennis said.
"We all know there are no winners in the war. Only losers. The humans are losing their lives," Protsouk said.
The auction is Saturday at Pocono Manor.
The event is sold out, but you can live stream it and bid on the painting online on the event's website.
To learn more about Andrei Protsouk, click here.
See more videos on our area’s connection to the Crisis in Ukraine.