Like the resonant beat of my ancestral spirits' drums, my work arises from a place of celebration and inherent rhythm. Immersed in the embrace of brushes and oils, I experience a profound sense of wellness. Within this creative space, a fluid energy, enlivens and energizing my spirit, which I then translate onto the canvas. My art is an expression of movement and ancestral energy, seeking to connect and foster well-being.

On canvas, I bring forth values of survival, connection, stewardship, respect, and gratitude. I explore pursuits and passions that reveal intimate connections between figures and the natural world. My contemporary figurative oil paintings hold reverence for my Northwestern coastal Tlingit formline, the rich heritage of my Ukrainian roots, and the expressive freedom of abstract expressionism.

I continually draw inspiration from artists such as Richard Schmid, Lee Krasner, Jeffrey T. Larson, Alice Neel, Preston Singletary, and the significant legacy of my late grandfather, master Tlingit artist Rudolph Walton of Sitka, AK, whose works reside in museums across Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, and Canada.

Reverence for my elders and a deep commitment to stewardship for all people, land, and sea are central to my artistic practice. This well-being I find in creating guides my hand as I continually seek new opportunities to place meaningful works with private collectors, to honor cultural expression through regalia in oils, and to connect with communities seeking wellness through art.

More than just materials and visible forms, my art embodies presence and a guiding fluid energy that connects and celebrates all sentient life.

Nena Howell | Ancestral Modernism

Nena Howell is a contemporary figurative oil painter whose work is a
rhythmic movement of gratitude. Howell creates large-scale "Ancestral
Modernism"—minimalist oil paintings that bridge natures energetic grid and modern architectural space.

Her practice is a "stream" of quiet confidence, Nena draws from her Tlingit and Ukrainian heritage, translating ancient formline into a contemporary language of negative space and tone-on-tone texture. Her work is a continuation of the legacy of her late grandfather, Rudolph Walton—a master Tlingit artist and carver—reimagined for the 21st-century interior.

She approaches each new collection with a curiosity-led focus on large-scale architectural collaborations—viewing each canvas as a transformative blessing of courage and calm for the modern interior.

Nena is a certified Tlingit & Haida tribal artist and a 2024 First Peoples Fellowship awardee. She is currently accepting inquiries for private previews in Washington and site-specific commissions.

JURIED

Sept 2025  In the Spirit, WA State History Museum, Tacoma, WA

Apr 2025 Award "Honorary Mention", Alatheia's National Exhibition & Benefit, Leavenworth, WA

Aug 2024 Statewide Juried Exhibition 'Confluence', Gallery One, Ellensburg, WA

Jul 2024 Bellevue Art Museum Art Fair, Bellevue, WA

Nov 2023 National Finalist Interstate Exhibition, Central WA University – Sarah Spurgeon Gallery, Ellensburg, WA

Jun 2023 Winner 2YR Membership, Gallery 110, Seattle, WA

Mar 2023 Finalist, Heritage University, Toppenish, WA

Jun 2022 First place Plein Air, Two Rivers Gallery, Wenatchee, WA

EXHIBITIONS CURRENT

See TODAY page for all current exhibitions

EXHIBITIONS PREVIOUS YEARS

Jul 2024 In the Spirit Exhibition, WA State History Museum, Tacoma, WA

Mar 2024 Group, Gallery 110, Seattle, WA

Jan 2024 Solo, Art Alley Pybus, Wenatchee, WA

Nov 2023 Group, Wild Arts Audubon, Portland, OR

Sep 2023 Group, Lemolo, Wenatchee, WA

Aug 2023 Group, Village Art, Leavenworth, WA

Jul 2023 Group, Night Market, Wenatchee, WA

May 2023 Group, Bird Fest, Leavenworth, WA

Oct 2022 Group, Pacific Art League, San Francisco, CA

Dec 2021 Group, Collapse Art Gallery, Wenatchee, WA

Jun 2021 Group, Two Rivers Gallery, Wenatchee, WA

EDUCATION

Institutional art studies:

University of Alaska and University of Washington

Seattle’s Gage Academy of Art and Wenatchee College

Sedona Art Center and Pacific Art League

Sessions studied under:

David A. Boxley Sr. and David Laffel

Nancy Taylor Stonington and Andy Thomas

Kai Lun Qu and Lonnie Zarem

Artist travel studies:

Alaska, Pacific Northwest, Spain, France, Italy and Sweden

COMMUNITY

Dec 2025 Director Wells & Wade ArtBOX a NCW Arts Alliance art fundraiser

Nov 2025 Director Mission District ArtBOX a NCW Arts Alliance art fundraiser

Sep 2025 Peoples Choice NCW Arts 2025-2026 "Raven's Soul" Sticker Selection

Aug 2025 Elected Vice Chair East Women Painters Washington

Feb 2024 Elected Member, Women Painters Washington

Jan 2024 Art Business Fellowship, First Peoples Fund

Dec 2023 Elected Board Member, Gallery 110, Seattle

Jan 2023 Certified King County Small Contractor Supplier

Nov 2022 Certified WA Office Minority & Women Business

Feb 2022 North Central Washington Arts Alliance member

Oct 2021 Certified Tlingit & Haida Tribal Artist