“Inspired by petroglyphs and deeply rooted in nature, Nettie Zan’s towering paintings in earthen hues exude organic dynamism. Serpentine forms ripple up from shadowy depths like ancient echoes, transporting us to our primal past.

Painting in trance states, Zan channels primordial energies from the collective subconscious, transforming them into pigment on canvas. Combining technical precision with fearless experimentation, they incorporate techniques like rock rubbing, leaf overpainting, and textural imprinting to create fresh modes of expression.

Zan’s animistic art stirs memories of humanity’s distant origins, grounding us in the enduring source of our being. Through their works, they reawaken the creative forces of our protohistory that continue to shape and sustain us.”

—Albert Carpenter, artist

Below, the first four mixed-media paintings are five feet square, or larger on raw, reclaimed surfaces: table cloths, curtains, drop cloths. Larger works are in progress. The images are then arranged by size, going from medium sized canvases to small one and finally to 4” x 6” ink, watercolor, marker, mixed medias on handcrafted paper. All paintings were creating between 2023 and today. -nz