Welcome to the
GALLERY
This is the online gallery for Zach Raley. The selection of works is subject to change, but currently the gallery features some of Raley’s favorite pieces, which showcase his unique voice and style as an artist.
NILLA WAFERS
"Nilla Wafers" is a self-portrait drawn from one of Zach’s childhood memories—camping in Maine. The painting reflects that moment in time, capturing the feeling of being a kid: carefree, curious, and full of wonder. Inspired by the simplicity and magic of childhood, Zach uses soft, thoughtful colors and a calm atmosphere to bring those memories to life. The piece is painted on a large, almost overwhelming scale, but when you stand in front of it, it feels surprisingly familiar. It draws you in and opens the door to your own childhood, making it feel both personal and shared at the same time.
Zach in this work is using oil pastels and linework, to emphasize different elements of this works meaning, with the figure covered in warm, pink line, and the background mostly cool, and sterile, underscoring the bubble of childhood Zach aims to portray; How kids stand out against the regular of todays world.
This is a 60x72 inch work that uses Oil Pastels, Chalk Pastels, Acrylic paint, Epoxy resin, and is on canvas mounted to wood.
BURN
Burn is a self-portrait and a critique of teenage life outside societal norms. Drawing inspiration from Renaissance symbolism, the piece explores the emotional weight of red and blue, using color to heighten tension and discomfort. The near life-size scale enhances the immersive experience, making the work almost overwhelming to confront in person.
Innovative self-developed epoxy resin techniques layer acrylic paint within resin, creating a rich, multi-dimensional surface. This method amplifies the work’s vibrancy and depth, reinforcing its intense and layered themes.
This work is a 48x55 inch painting.
Acrylic paint, oil paint, epoxy resin, canvas, mounted on wood.
This work received a gold key, and National Gold Medal from Scholastic, check out the awards page to see more on these accolades
Raley’s use of color in this work carries much of the hidden messaging. He draws inspiration from Renaissance and other historical art traditions to explore the symbolic meanings of color. Red suggests looming doom, blue evokes sadness, and orange conveys wealth, prosperity, and ambition. The lemons in the bottom right corner reference the Dutch still life tradition of the Renaissance period, where they symbolized luxury and affluence. In Raley’s work, they reflect his own aspirations for success. It is the vibrant orange flame, symbolizing ambition, that causes the pot to boil over and create the chaotic mess depicted in the scene.
WONDER
This piece revisits the awe Zach Raley experienced as a child watching hot air balloons drift over the hills of Switzerland. Raley used this work as an exersize in line and color, using the lines found within the landscape and tall shape of the work to evoke a sense of boudlessness, as the feilds could stretch on forever.
Raley used his personally developed layering technique in this work, contributing its vibrancy and sense of depth.
This is a 34x48 inch work, that employs Raley’s epoxy resin techinque’s, to layer acrylic paint.
HOPE
This artwork, titled "Hope," is a large painting of Quebec City that masterfully employs both warm and cool colors to create a dramatic and captivating effect. No matter where it is displayed, the painting invariably draws the viewer's eye. It carries a profound emotional message about the significance of hope, illustrating how bleak and dark the world would be without it.
This work is a 48x36 inch.Acrylic paint and varnish on canvas.WARNING
This piece is inspired by Zach Raley’s annual retreats to Colorado and the commanding presence of a bull that roams the landscape. It marks his first exploration of animal subjects, using the bull as a symbol of nature’s strength and grounded beauty.
The composition explores line, color, and shape—transforming a simple field into a dynamic arrangement of forms. Through this work, Raley invites viewers to reflect on their own connections to place and memory, drawing them into a shared sense of reverence for the natural world.
This work is a great example of how Raley likes to transform everyday things like grass, or sun rays, into parts of broader compositional pieces.
This work is a 4 foot x 4 foot Layers of epoxy resin with acrylic paint on MDF boards.HARBOR VIEW
This custom piece was created specifically for the Harbor View Hotel, designed to capture the stunning view from the Veranda. Showcasing iconic elements such as the hotel's lighthouse and sweeping vistas, the painting reflects the charm and character of this historic destination. Recognized as one of the 50 best hotels in the nation and celebrated with numerous accolades, the Harbor View's legacy adds depth and significance to the artwork—elevating it beyond a visual representation to a tribute to its rich heritage.
The Iconic hotel built in the late 1800s on Martha’s Vineyard.
48x102 inch work, on wood, that uses epoxy resin and acrylic paint.
This work hangs above the front desk at the Harbor View Hotel, and is Raley’s ultimate demonstration of his epoxy resin technique as such a scale, over 8 feet long and hundreds of pounds.
ONE PEOPLE (PART ONE)
Raley painted this mural in Ghana as a spontaneous project and his first experience with spray paint. It symbolizes unity between America and Africa, with Ghana as a central point of connection.
A history enthusiast, Raley studied Ghanaian politics before his trip. He used the Black Star, a symbol of African unity and part of the Ghanaian flag, to merge the American and Ghanaian flags. This represents a shared pursuit of freedom and prosperity.
As founder of Sankofa Vision, a nonprofit providing clean water to Ghanaian communities, Raley believes people around the world are more alike than different. He created the mural in the village of Adakquame to express that Americans, Ghanaians, and all people are one. The mural still stands today.
Take a look at this video of Raley’s trip to Ghana, and the Mural that resulted.
ONE PEOPLE
One People is inspired by Zach Raley’s journey to Ghana with his family and a Ghanaian student who had lived with them for several years. The trip centered around reconnecting the student with his parents and supporting the local community through the funding of a borehole in the village where this painting is set.
The composition draws from a powerful moment when Raley’s mother and the student’s mother danced together in the village center—a spontaneous expression of unity and shared humanity. Using large-scale epoxy resin techniques, the piece captures the joy, connection, and cultural resonance of that exchange, offering a visual celebration of cross-cultural bonds and collective memory.
Zach was inspired by his trip to Ghana, here are a few photos that he took while he was there that contributed to this work.
This work is a 48x55 inch painting.
Acrylic paint, epoxy resin, canvas, mounted on wood.
CUT SHORT
Cut Short is inspired by a childhood moment when Zach Raley took a single bite of a sprinkle-covered waffle and then left it behind—an unusual act, captured in a photo by his father. This small but striking memory serves as the foundation for a larger reflection on the fleeting nature of innocence.
The piece is part of an upcoming series in which Raley revisits early moments of joy, confusion, and transformation. While playful on the surface, Cut Short begins to explore the idea of growing up too quickly and the quiet complexities often buried in childhood experiences. Raley uses his signature colors and lines in this work, to make the waffle seem to by crying syrup, left behind by a oblivious child.
This is a 56x56’ inch work
It uses acrylic paint and one layer of epoxy resin.
FUTURE
This artwork, titled Future, combines cool and warm colors to create depth and vibrancy in a floral composition. Inspired by a painting created decades ago by Zach Raley's great-grandfather, an Armenian artist, it reflects a similar design. The darker tones on the left represent the past, while the brighter colors on the right symbolize a hopeful future. Small Ghanaian Sankofa symbols at the base of the vase signify "learning from the past to shape the future," representing how Zach draws from his great-grandfather's legacy to achieve his own vision for the future.
This work is a 48x36 inch.
Acrylic paint, epoxy resin, on canvas.
SIDELINED
Sidelined is based on a shipyard in Jamestown, Rhode Island, and explores structure through the interplay of vertical and horizontal elements.
Raley uses resin to achieve a depth and contrast that would be difficult to create with paint alone. In this work he is using the idea of high contrast, across many different elements of the work. From the atmosphere of the sky in contrast with the geometry of the sails, to the simplicity of light and dark, Raley turns the regular into something new, recuperating the invisible.
This painting is a 36inx36 inch work.POOLSIDE FLAMINGOES
This piece draws inspiration from reflections in Raley’s aunt’s pool and the iconic pink flamingo often found decorating pools around the world. It captures a moment when Raley stood by the pool and observed his shadow cast on the water, inspiring him to translate the experience into a painting. The contrast in the work highlights not only a difference in color but also in texture: the shadow appears smooth and flat, while the sunlit water is rendered with vibrant, textured movement. The piece symbolizes Raley’s want for world peace, considering his young age and aspirations for the future, Raley aims to show his desire to preserve the world for the future generations.
This is a 4 ft x 2ft, 1 layer of Resin.REFLECTION
This artwork pays tribute to a photograph taken during a journey through the historic streets of Old Quebec.
In this work Raley is exploring and developing his epoxy resin and paint technique, and creates a composition from a street scene
This work is a 36x36 inch painting using epoxy resin, acrylic paint, on canvas.
TIMELY
While this work lacks an advanced sense of composition, the work is one of Raley’s first, and combings Legos, epoxy resin, and a multi-layered painting of a watch to explore how creativity as a child (represented by Legos) leads to success as an adult (represented by the Rolex).
This is a 29.5x24 inch painting.1 layers of resin,3 layers of paint. layers of Legos. ACK
This work, created for a client with a house in NANTUCKET MA, was taken from a photo of his home. He wanted to capture the warmth and softness of his home at night, and invitingly show his house. The work uses high color contrast and deep blues, greens, and reds to give off the effect of a warm space, waiting to embrace you upon entry.
This is a 24inch by 24 inch work.It uses layers of epoxy resin and acrylic paint on canvas.BRANT
This painting, inspired by Brant Point in Nantucket, is one of my earliest experiments using epoxy resin and acrylic paint. By layering the paints, I was able to add depth and make areas that might typically seem bland more engaging. The piece is characterized by its high contrast and has found its permanent home in Newport, Rhode Island.
This is a 24x24
Epoxy resin and Acrylic Paint
Follow the process
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Follow the process ☆
FOLLOW THE PROCESS
As Zach creates his works, travels, and paints, he updates his Instagram Zachraley_art. Feel free to follow it and keep up with show announcements, upcoming works, and gain insight into his creative process.