Nieves grew up in the culturally rich Basque region of Spain. She arrived in the U.S. in 1972. First instructed in art beginning at age 12 in her home town of Bilbao she would then make the trip to the the United States where she worked her way through The Maryland Institute College of Art, graduating Summa Cum Laude.
     The rich color palette is reflective of her life in Spain and its luxuriant art history and furthered by her extensive travels in South America, Europe and the Middle East. The paintings are complex, intricately composed works of contrasting colors. She uses almost exclusively palette knives and spatulas, layering and scraping it away.  Images are created by stacking colors edge to edge against other colors, often eviscerating that which is unnecessary with spatula then moving the paint to where whimsy and a life time of skill dictates. She will not stop working on a piece till she sees it as complete, some times setting it aside for lengths of time then bringing it to fruition.  
     To look at them every day is to discover new elements, and stories. Powerful, emotional and expressive of the life she has lived, it is a treat to look through the crowded racks of stored paintings, an extensive history of a prolific artist.

                                                                                                          J.P. McMurry