Nina Gates is an American realist painter from Fort Worth, Texas. She was educated at Ohio University and commissioned as an officer in the United States Army, serving in Military Police and Military Intelligence units. She began painting figures in a local studio on weekends while working at the United States Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Nina's works include landscapes, still life, human figures and portraits. Her singular technique is a sophisticated balance of control and spontaneity. Some areas of her paintings are so finely and precisely drawn they apprear almost photographic, and they glow with subtle tones and elegantly glazed shifts of color. Thoughtful planning goes into edges; soft edges, firm edges, edges that disappear like smoke into the background, hard edges that delineate and define with rigorous severity. Other areas of the painting are loose, gestural and textured, supporting thick impasto that begs to be touched. The result is timeless. A masterwork created with formal nineteenth-century European painting methods that feels natural, animated, and modern. 

 

 In her free time Ms. Gates is a passionate equestrian. A former horse trainer and riding instructor, she says she'll rarely turn down an opportuity to paint horses or dogs. She is a lifelong sailor and loves to grab her gloves and be pick-up crew when an extra racing hand is needed. She also enjoys travel, books, great restaurants, and interior design. Her studio assistant is a German Shepherd named Indiana Jones who often sleeps on the job. -H. Cordova