Zakarian has always found motion in still life. Her works focus on glass, flowers, musical instruments, and fabric. She has done still lifes in oil, pastel, acrylic, and gouache.

She wrote, "I love to paint glass. I find glass an excellent means for expression. The distortion and movement of objects through it give expression to the restlessness and turbulence within myself. The folds of a cloth in their rhythmic lines portray excitement and movement. I rarely paint cloth flat on a table. I have to twist and fold it, so that through it I can express movement, not only in lines, but also in darks and lights, creating a dramatic play of colors. I also create drama by the white areas I sometimes leave around the edges of the canvas. This helps me make a stronger statement and focuses attention on the center in a dramatic way. I use colors that shift and change, but still work together, like a variety of notes, all combining to create a mood. Sometimes I tone a canvas before I paint the subject and immediately create a mood with colors. So you see, a still life can express emotion in so many ways."