I was born Anton J. Znaniecki in January 1942. Soon after my birth our family name was changed to Zenan, the name I go by for legal purposes. I sign my paintings Znaniecki out of pride in my Polish ancestry. I became a professional freelance artist in 1976 and have exhibited in major wildlife art shows all over the United States. I have won many awards including Colorado Ducks Unlimited Artist of the Year in 1986, 1987 and 1988. I was born with a natural ability to move paint around on a canvas, but it was the meshing of this ability with my life long love of nature which convinced me to pursue art as a career. Since 1995 I have been painting almost exclusively on crystalline rock such as agate and petrified wood. My specialty is the realistic representation of wildlife, particularly waterfowl, as it would appear in an ideal environment. Even my landscapes without animal life are devoid of Man’s intervention except where Man is depicted as a member of, rather than a force in the natural setting. My ideas come from lifelong experiences and study of the natural environment. I have visited or lived in every continent except South America and presently reside in Arizona.
You can view representative pieces of my work by clicking on the Gallery. I paint on agate, petrified wood, crystalline, and other exotic stones. All of my artwork is original with no two pieces exactly alike. Every stone varies in size, color, and shape. Sizes range from 9 inches to 4 feet. Individuality of the rock determines the wildlife scene and ultimately the price which ranges from $120.00 to several thousand dollars.