Looking for the perfect get away from your daily life? Nanny Goat Gallery may have just the thing. Opening on February 20th, the gallery opens its doors to unveil new works by Ana Neves and Liz Bradford, bringing together a stunning selection of surrealist art. Featuring Ana’s gothic horror and Liz’s otherworldly animals, the two artists create a surprising harmony though encapsulating two very different aesthetics. Both artists take you on a journey into new worlds, two diverse series filled with strong but quiet beauty.
Alongside Ana Neves and Liz Bradford’s solo exhibitions, Nanny Goat Gallery will also be exhibiting group show “Imagine” – featuring a whole host of exciting artists. Learn more about “Imagine” here, and more about the two artists below.
Ana Neves: “Absence of Equilibrium”
Liz Bradford: “Celestial Menagerie”
“Imagine” group show
Opening reception: 20 February, 6-9pm. Liz Bradford will be in attendance!
Nanny Goat Gallery
215 N Water St in Old Downtown, Petaluma, CA, USA
Email Emily and Paul at hello@nannygoatgallery.com with any questions or inquiries, or sign up for the collector’s preview here.
Tel: 707-329-6388
Thursday: 2-5 pm
Friday: 2-5 pm
Saturday: 12-5 pm and by appointment
“We’re really excited about all three exhibits coming to Nanny Goat Gallery on February 20th! After our winter break we’re really coming back with a bang. “Imagine” will run concurrently to two solos: first from American artist Liz Bradford and the second from Portugal-based artist Ana Neves. Both artists have such unique styles that feature powerful narratives and intriguing characters. They are both still emerging artists who are quickly becoming more popular and well-recognized by the day and we’re proud to give them the opportunity to showcase their latest bodies of work.”
– Emily Eccles, co-owner of Nanny Goat Gallery
Ana Neves, Absence of Equilibrium
Portuguese artist Ana Neves’ paintings imbue gothic horror and surrealism in perfect harmony, beautifully blending the nuance of the romantic with haunting, mystical imagery. Inspired by dark emotive art, Victorian aesthetics, surrealism, and romanticism, she creates paintings rich with powerful female figures, enigmatic narratives, and spectral beauty.
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Primarily using acrylics and coloured pencils, Ana’s captivating artworks weave storytelling with emotion. “Absence of Equilibrium” is her latest mini solo exhibition, taking place at Nanny Goat Gallery. Her art breathes life into worlds suspended between dreams and reality, embodying both strength and mystery.
“My art is a blend of everything that inspires me and I truly love: haunting imagery mixed with Romanticism, mystical elements with surrealism. I’ve always had a big appreciation of dark, horror, and weird art. Art inspires me in all forms. Especially the antiques; I’ve always had an interest in old things.
I’ve collected many inspiring trinkets over the years, which led my fascination to grow bigger for the 19th century, especially the Victorian era. And to add of course Romanticism art to Pre-Raphaelite, architecture, nature, music and books as well.”
“I explore and try to portray the psyche and mental health that many people are facing today as well, and be open to interpretation. I feel that we are losing ourselves further with all the technology to a point of addiction and forget our own selves, own thoughts and opinions, which inspires me to paint about parallels and add elements to play with. My other frequent element I like to paint is, inspired Victorian clothing; not only because I love it, but which is a critic to the fast fashion problem we are facing today.”
Liz Bradford, Celestial Menagerie
Liz Bradford is a formally trained scientific illustrator whose art bridges the natural world, spirituality, and surrealism. Her background in textile design is delicately blended with her experience in scientific observation, informing her detailed approach to her natural subjects. As Liz imbues her visionary art with these elements, dreamlike compositions arise. Her current series explores the dream world, inviting viewers into surreal landscapes where form and spirit intertwine.
“Celestial Menagerie” features a collection of soulful animals that exist on otherworldly plains. This body of work delves into spiritual and philosophical themes, using animal symbolism and layered patterns. These textured creations blend transparent paint, coloured pencil, and intricate patterns on raw wood panels. In her own words:
“The idea for the show crystallized slowly after finishing my first painting in the lineup – “Mother of the Veil”. I knew after this I wanted to keep coming back to animals as representational beings.
I personally tend to paint animals, because for me they can have more of a symbolic identity, while human portraits tend to retain personal identity (we can’t help but think: who is this person?). The animal however can instantly represent an archetype. I also come from a background in biological illustration, so animalism comes naturally to me.
“To example of some of the spiritual and philosophical themes explored, “Illumination” serves as the counterpart to “Mother of the Veil” (both featured above). “Illumination” represents the clarity of revelation and pursuit of understanding. The falcon emerges in vibrant bright colour, perched on a weathered Roman column, a symbol of ancient knowledge and enduring history. “Mother of the Veil”, however, embodies mystery and the unseen. The crow is veiled in darkness and stands between two worlds where boundaries blur. I love exploring the duality of these two sides of the human experience: the lightning bolt of clarity and the mystery of the unknown.
“Another unifying part of this show is my experimentation with intricate layered patterns. As I first started painting patterns over imagery, I kept coming back to the analogy of the moment in a movie where one scene fades to the next, but for a few seconds they both exist over top of each other. Two moments in time existing at once: a fracture. I have also always enjoyed a maximalist aesthetic and love seeing how many competing patterns I can fit into a composition to achieve this fractured feeling. A piece that I feel best represents this technique is “Forever Until the End of Time”.
A philosophical question I think about most in life and try to explore in my paintings is “what is consciousness?” Does it exist solely in our minds, or can does it exist on multiple plains? Where do we go when we dream? I often wake up in my dreams, and it is amazing to be conscious in a place outside of reality and powered by my own creativity. Many of the paintings reflect this dream logic, where fractured spaces, layered patterns, and unexpected juxtapositions coexist. Within that apparent randomness, meaning quietly emerges.”
Learn more about Nanny Goat Gallery and Liz and Ana in the links below!
Taking roots in the Petaluma arts scene, Nanny Goat Gallery celebrates new and contemporary representational art, predominantly in the pop surreal, narrative, and fantasy genres. Far from the minimalist white walls experience, Nanny Goat Gallery happily leans into its historical foundations. The gallery boasts a two-room space with rustic brick walls, across the street from the river in downtown Petaluma.
Read more about their roots and opening here.
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