Elena is represented by Pryor Fine Art | Atlanta, GA, Andra Norris Gallery | Burlingame, CA, Paul Mahder Gallery | Healdsburg, CA, Bryant Street Gallery | Palo Alto, Whitney Modern | Los Gatos, CA
The Artist Behind Netlenka Fine Art
Elena Zolotnitsky
Elena Zolotnitsky’s paintings are a study in archetypes, where familiar objects transcend their traditional forms—chairs, flowers, faces—becoming something more. With the painting itself as her main focus, she simplifies the surrounding elements to create depth, both physical and emotional, in each layer of paint. She strives for a balance, allowing her works to "breathe" with open spaces, reflecting a constant state of transition, much like herself.
With nearly 40 years of experience, Zolotnitsky views her work as a poetic expression of admiration for life, art, and beauty. She linkes her paintings to "sonnets"—each a vehicle for communicating complex emotions through color, texture, and surface treatment. Her process embraces repetition, seeking new ways to express familiar sentiments, and every painting is a challenge to capture that single, resonant note of magic that connects her personal identity to a larger, timeless dimension.
Netlenka fine Art Catalogs
Andra Norris, Gallerist, Burlingame, CA
"Through expressive gesture and vivid color, Zolotnitsky invites viewers to connect with the work on an instinctive level. Her paintings balance immediacy and introspection, revealing both vulnerability and vitality within the act of painting itself."
CURRICULUM VITAE
Born: 1961, Moscow, Russia
Education: MFA, Moscow State Institute of Cinematography (VGIK), Moscow, Russia, 1987
2026 Artist-in-Residence, Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, Vermont
2024 Artist-in-Residence, EL SUR, Mexico City, Mexico
2022 Artist-in-Residence, Château d'Orquevaux, France | Denis Diderot
Residency Program Grant
2014 Portrait Society of America, 3rd Place Winner, Members Only
Competition, Still Life Category
2013 Full Fellowship, Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, Vermont
2008 Jerome Caja Terrible Beauty Award, Visual Aid, San Francisco, CA
2007 Award of Excellence, Northern National Art Competition,
Nicolet College, WI
2007 Best in Show, Cash Prize, Loyola National Works on Paper, Chicago, IL
2005 Award of Excellence, 48th Communication Arts Annual Illustration Exhibition, CA
2005 Full Fellowship, Helene Wurlitzer Foundation, Taos, New Mexico
2005 Best in Show and Purchase Award, “Dimensions 2005,” 40th National Exhibition, Winston-Salem, NC
2004 Award of Excellence, SDAI 46th International Exhibition, San Diego, CA
2003 Full Fellowship Award for Residency, Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, Vermont
1997 Grant, Paul Beckett Foundation, Denmark / Spain
1993 Gold Medal, Mid-Atlantic Watercolor Exhibition, Baltimore, MD
1992 Merit Award, 36th Annual Illustration Exhibition, Society of Illustrators, NY
1991 Merit Award, 27th Annual Illustration Exhibition, Society of Publication Design, NY
AWARDS, GRANTS & RESIDENCIES
2027 “The Color Of Infinity” (Solo), Bryant Street Gallery, Palo Alto, CA
2027 Moments of Being (Solo), STICKS Gallery and Framing, Berkeley, CA
2027 Romancing The Gold (2 Artists Show), Eric Rose Art Services, Berkeley, CA
2026 Artist Spotlight: Elena Zolotnitsky, Pryor Fine Art, Atlanta, GA
2026 “Ode to Joy” (Solo), STICKS Framing & Gallery, Berkeley, CA
2026 “Watermark,” Andra Norris Gallery, Burlingame, CA
2026 “Idols, Icons and Variation on the Theme,” Paul Mahder Gallery, Healdsburg, CA
2025 The Other Art Fair, Los Angeles, CA
2024 “Beyond” (4 Artists Show), Andra Norris Gallery, Burlingame, CA
2024 “Orquevaux & Beyond” (2 Artists Show), SHOH Gallery, Berkeley, CA
2024 “This Side of Paradise” (Solo), STICKS Framing Gallery, Berkeley, CA
2023 “Uncharted” (3 Artists Show), Paul Mahder Gallery, Healdsburg, CA
2023 “Ghosts of Orquevaux” (Solo), Eric Rose Art Services, Berkeley, CA
2023 “Breathing Lessons” (Solo), STICKS Framing & Fine Art, Berkeley, CA
2022 “Lightness of Being” (Solo), STICKS Framing & Fine Art, Berkeley, CA
2022 “About Time” (Solo), Paul Mahder Gallery, Healdsburg, CA
2022 #eatpraylovepaint (Solo), Bryant Street Gallery, Palo Alto, CA
2022 “Imagine” (Solo), Pryor Fine Art, Atlanta, GA
2021 “Enchanted” (Solo), SHOH Gallery, Berkeley, CA
2021 “People + Places + Things,” Bryant Street Gallery, Palo Alto, CA
2021 “Sempre” (Solo), STICKS, Berkeley, CA
2021 “Quintessence,” Andra Norris Gallery, Burlingame, CA
2021 “31 Women,” Whitney Modern, Los Gatos, CA
2021 “Art of Quarantine,” SHOH Gallery, Berkeley, CA
2021 “Look,” Andra Norris Gallery, Burlingame, CA
2019 “Summer Medley,” STICKS, Berkeley, CA
2019 “Gaze” (3 Artists Show), North Berkeley Investments, Berkeley, CA
2018 “Metamorphosis,” Andra Norris Gallery, Burlingame, CA
2018 “Becoming” (Solo), STICKS, Berkeley, CA
2017 “Big Show of Small Works” (Group Show), Andra Norris Gallery, Burlingame, CA
2017 “Reverie” (Solo), Sticks Picture Framing & Art, Berkeley, CA
2017 “Full Circle” (Solo), The Club Gallery, Claremont Hotel, Berkeley, CA
2016 29th Annual National Competition, Nicolet College Art Gallery, Rhinelander, WI (Juror: Jeanine Coupe Ryding)
2016 50/50, 8th Annual Exhibition, Sanchez Art Center, Pacifica, CA (Juror: Brian Gross)
2016 “Fragmented,” Gallerie CITI, Burlingame, CA
2016 “100 Years of Coca-Cola,” World Traveling Exhibition, Art from Coca-Cola Co. Collection
2015 “Evoked,” Pryor Fine Art, Atlanta, GA
2014 “Emotive,” Gallerie CITI, Burlingame, CA
2014 “Urbana” (Group Exhibition), Gallerie CITI, Burlingame, CA
2014 SFMOMA Artists Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2012 “Modern Masters of Contrast, Composition and Form,” Pryor Fine Art, Atlanta, GA
2012 “Seen,” Visual Aid presents MONCA: Works by David Park, Nathan Oliveira, Richard Diebenkorn, Mel Ramos, Elena Zolotnitsky, San Francisco, CA
2012 “Sin and Redemption,” SFMOMA Artists Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2012 “Berkeley Civic Center,” in conjunction with Berkeley Art Center and KALA
2012 “Scapes” (Solo), Paul Mahder Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2012 “Introductions 2012 – CA Realists,” Statewide Juried Competition, ArtZone 461 Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2012 “Introductions” (Group Show), Selby Fleetwood Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
2012 “Painting Only,” Juried State Competition, Pacific Art League, Palo Alto, CA
2011 “Introductions” (Group Show), Pryor Fine Art, Atlanta, GA
2011 “Zolotnitsky@Bucci’s,” Emeryville, CA
2011 Holiday Show, Paul Mahder Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2010 “Cimmerian Muse: Exploring the Gestures of the Mind,” Nieto Fine Art, San Francisco, CA
2010 “The Figure Now,” Fontbonne University Fine Arts Gallery, St. Louis, MO (Juried by Sofie Jodoin, Alex Kanevsky and Nicholas Uribe)
2009 “Basic,” Paul Mahder Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2008 “Terrible Beauty,” Mark Parron and Elena Zolotnitsky, Paule Anglim Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2008 Franklin Bowles Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2007 Loyola National Works on Paper, Crown Center Gallery, Loyola University of Chicago
2007 Northern National Art Competition (Juried by Allan Peterson), Nicolet College, WI
2007 “Salon d’Ete 2007,” Micaela Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2007 Rotunda Gallery, USF School of Law (Curated by Saiko Matsumaru), San Francisco, CA
2007 Paul Mahder Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2007 Franklin Bowles Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2006 Franklin Bowles Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2006 B. Boeltz Gallery, Denver, CO
2006 “Finding the Figure,” SFMOMA Artists Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2005 “Salon d’Ete 2005,” Micaela Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2005 Yerba Buena Center for the Arts: Visual Aid at 16, San Francisco, CA
2005 San Diego Art Institute: 48th International Exhibition (Juried by Derrick C. Cartwright, Director of the San Diego Museum of Art)
2005 “Closer,” Barbara Anderson Gallery, Berkeley, CA
2004 Blue Room Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2004 Barbara Anderson Gallery: “Works on Paper,” Berkeley, CA
2004 ARTWALK at the Embarcadero Center (Curated by ArtSpan), San Francisco, CA
2003 Catharine Clark Gallery: SPICE Visual Aid Artists, San Francisco, CA
2003 San Diego Art Institute: 46th International Exhibition, San Diego, CA
2002 “Beaux & Eros,” Vorpal Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2001 SFMOMA Artists Gallery, 4 Artist Show, San Francisco, CA
2001 “The Year 2001 – Art Odyssey,” Vorpal Gallery, San Francisco, CA
1999 Museum of American Illustration: SPD Gala Annual, New York, NY
1999 Art Expo: Finalists of the Art Calendar Magazine’s Competition, New York, NY
1999 James E. Lewis Museum of Art, Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD
1999 Sloane Gallery, Denver, CO
1997 Springfield Art Museum: Watercolor USA Honor Society, 6th Biennial Exhibition
1997 “Maryland Artists,” Government House, Annapolis, MD
1997 Lancaster Museum of Art: “Creating Women,” Lancaster, PA
1997 Russian Embassy, Washington, D.C. (Curated by Diane Beal)
1997 “Made in the USA,” Hodson Gallery, Hood College, Frederick, MD
1995 Regional Mid-Atlantic Watercolor Exhibition, Baltimore, MD
1994 Zenith Gallery, Washington, DC
1993 New York City Public Library: SPD Gala Annual, New York, NY
1993 Galerie Francoise, Green Spring, MD
1992 Zimmerly Art Museum, “Norton Dodge’s Collection of Soviet Art,” Rutgers University, NJ
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2022 Palo Alto Weekly, “#eatpraylovepaint at Bryant Street Gallery Shows Off Painter’s Broad Range,” by Sheryl Nonnenberg
2022 American Art Collector, “Artist Focus,” February Issue
2022 American Art Collector, “About Time” Preview of the Solo Show at Paul Mahder Gallery, Healdsburg, CA, by John O’Hern
2021 American Art Collector, April Issue, page 118
2020 48Hills.com, “In Painting, Elena Zolotnitsky Lives by ‘Beauty Will Save the World,’” by Mary Corbin
2017 American Art Collector
2015 American Art Collector, November Issue, page 10
2015 Palo Alto Daily Post, February 27, 2015, Palo Alto, CA
2015 The Atlantan: Modern Luxury Living, February Issue, Atlanta, GA
2015 Milieu, February Issue, Atlanta, GA
2015 Studio Visit Magazine, Volume 28
2014 The Art of the Portrait, Journal of the Portrait Society of America, Issue #65
2014 The Studio Work Blog / Studio Visit, Interview with Elise Morris
2013 Architectural Digest, July Issue
2012 The Ritz-Carlton Magazine, October Issue, page 40
2012 Lilith Magazine, Summer Issue, page 16
2012 American Art Collector, May Issue, pages 23, 85
2012 Art & Antiques, May Issue, page 19
2012 Southwest Art Magazine, January Issue, “Art of the Figure”
2012 Studio Visit Magazine, Volume 21
2011 Great River Review, Cover Art for Summer/Spring Issue, Anderson Art Center, Minnesota
2009 Etnosfera Magazine, “Elena Zolotnitsky: Creativity – Is a Personal Affair,” Interview with Yulia Goryacheva, Issue #11 (134), Moscow, Russia
2008 7x7 San Francisco Magazine, “Watch This Space,” by Christine Ryan, November Issue, p. 120
2005 46th Annual Communication Arts, p. 107
2003 Baltimore Magazine, “A Selection of Contemporary Russian Artwork,” by John Lewis, February Issue, pp. 122–123
2000 New York Times Book Review Cover: “Thus Spake Beowulf,” February 27
1997 Intelligencer Journal, “Happenings,” March Issue: “Bold or Fractured, Images From Women’s Selves,” by Jennifer Knopf. Cover Story on “Creating Women,” Lancaster Museum of Art, PA
1996 Frederick Gazette, “Six Very Good Reasons to See ‘Made in the USA,’” by Richard Lebhers, on the Exhibition of Selected Former Russian Artists
1995 The Artist’s Magazine, “Rising Watercolor Stars,” by Bebe Raupe, October Issue, pp. 60–65
1993 The Baltimore Sun, March 11: “Zolotnitskys Blend Humor and Grimness, Go Figure,” by John Dorsey. Art Review on the two-person exhibition at Galerie Francoise, Baltimore, MD
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
Museum of Contemporary Art, Château Orquevaux, France
Norton Dodge Collection of Soviet Art, Zimmerly Art Museum, Rutgers University, NJ
MONCA (Museum of Northern California Art), CA
Coca-Cola Co., Atlanta, GA
