The Artist
About Alene
Fort Collins, Colorado
Painting the feeling of a place
Alene Nitzky is a Colorado-based painter working primarily in acrylics. Her work sits at the intersection of abstract expressionism and semi-representational landscape — loose, layered, and alive with color. She paints not to document a scene but to capture the emotional experience of being in it.
Her studio is in Fort Collins, where the Front Range light shifts dramatically through the seasons. That quality of light — warm, clear, and sometimes startlingly vivid — finds its way into every one of her works of art.
Artist Bio
About the Artist
Alene Nitzky paints abstract landscapes in acrylic and mixed media. She began painting in pastels in 2000, then took a twenty year hiatus to pursue a career in oncology nursing. She returned to painting in 2023, primarily in acrylic. She is a graduate of the Creative Visionary Program by Nicholas Wilton of Sausalito, California, and abstract landscape workshops by Insa Hoffmann of Berlin, Germany. Working from her home studio in Fort Collins, Colorado, she is inspired by the nearby mountain trails where she runs and hikes year-round.
Artist Statement
What Inspires Me
I have always needed nature for refuge and spiritual sustenance, and my artistic inspiration comes from moving long distances over the landscape on foot. The beauty in nature can be presented in abstract form, capturing the feelings, light, and energy of the scenery as it changes throughout the day.
Seasonal changes, the effects of wind and weather, figures in the clouds, shadows and light cast in different directions influence the colors of the landscape. These natural elements energize me for their expression in my artwork.
I make my art because I want to share the magic of what I see and feel in those remote places where most people never venture. It's like sharing a closely-guarded secret.
The Studio
Dissolve Art Studio, Fort Collins
Dissolve Art Studio in spring — Fort Collins, Colorado
Places & Landscapes
Where the Work Comes From
As a longtime distance runner and hiker, I love the outdoors and spending long days — and even nights — on trails. I travel on foot through mountain, coastal, and desertscapes, moving through landscapes at a pace that lets me absorb every shift in light, color, and atmosphere.
I'm especially drawn to the rugged volcanic landscapes of Mexico, to Baja California, and to Mexico City, where I've traveled for many outdoor adventures and cultural events over the years. The warm and welcoming nature of the people along with the raw heat, dust, vivid contrasts of color — finds its way into my work in ways that are sometimes obvious and sometimes deeply buried in the layers.
Closer to home, the trails of the Colorado Front Range are a constant source of renewal. The way the light changes through the seasons, the drama of incoming weather over the mountains, the quiet of a high-altitude meadow — these are the experiences I carry back to the studio and speak through my artwork.
"What you feel when you look at a painting — that stillness, that recognition — I paint to help you find your way back to that inner peace."
— Alene Nitzky, Dissolve Art Studio
Alene Nitzky
Painting is how I dissolve the noise.
I work with acrylic and mixed media on canvas and wood panels, building up layers of color and texture as something true emerges — something I couldn't have planned at the start. The process is as important as the result.
I'm drawn to abstraction because it leaves room for the viewer. A landscape painting tells you what to see; an abstract work invites you to bring your own experience. I want people to stand in front of my paintings, get lost in the layers and textures, and feel something they didn't expect.
I work from my studio in Fort Collins with the Rocky Mountains as a constant backdrop. My work is held in private collections across the U.S. and shown at art festivals and events throughout Colorado.
Ready to find your piece?
Browse the full collection or reach out directly — Alene responds to every inquiry personally.