To behold the art of Nancy Yaki is to experience a moment captured from a lifelong, far-reaching journey. Born of a New World union of Native American and French-Canadian, Nancy’s artistic spirit is infused with the regeneration of nature and keen, animistic perception. An alumna of Wesleyan University's CCY program and the Paier School of Art, Nancy received national acclaim while still in high school, receiving the prestigious Scholastic Arts Gold Medal for excellence in painting.

After leaving school, Nancy traveled extensively, absorbing both humanity and nature. Her adventures took her to Africa, Eurasia, the Mediterranean, Peru and Haiti (both during civil wars). She found a new home in Alaska where the wild, raw land and life resonated with her art. Working as a commercial fisher-woman and carpenter (a skill she inherited from her family), Nancy simmered at the intersection of vast nature and organic, purposeful design. Here she began to define the striking, contemporary style that became her well-known signature throughout Alaska and the Pacific Northwest.

Never content to repeat herself, Nancy morphs easily through media and ideas. Her body of work ranges from photorealistic detail to bold non-representation, representing an evolution of over 3 decades as a professional artist.

Nancy’s works have been internationally published on book covers, in calendars, date books and greeting cards, and have also been selected to appear in many periodicals including American Artist and Art in America. Most recently, she was a finalist in the landscape division of the 2011 28^th Annual International Art Competition held by The Artist’s Magazine.

After leaving Alaska, Nancy spent two years in the Arizona desert before settling in Los Olivos, California. She currently oversees the AP Art curriculum as Artist-in-Residence for Dunn School and is a member of the International Society of Acrylic Painters.