Nanci Fulmek — Paintings Photographed by Mitch Rossow
Equestrian Portrait Painter · Art Business Educator
Nanci Fulmek is a fine art portrait painter who specializes in equine and human portraits, classically trained through the full five-year program at The Atelier Studio Program of Fine Art in Minneapolis. Her commissioned portrait work spans horse owners, breeders, and trainers around the world. Among her notable commissions: the official portrait of presidential candidate Ron Paul.
Nanci Fulmek Can Help You Sell Your Art
In addition to her painting practice, Nanci teaches art business and marketing at The Atelier — covering how to price and market your work, gallery relationships vs. going independent, and the practical skills of running a self-employed studio practice. If you’re a serious art student looking to build a career, it’s worth checking what she has scheduled.
From Italy to Minnesota — and Horses from the Start
Born at the bottom of a volcano in Italy and raised in Minnesota, Nanci Fulmek has been captivated by horses since early childhood. Growing up in the city, she didn’t have access to them — so she drew them. That passion led to her first paid commission at age 16, sketching a racehorse for a thoroughbred owner who spotted her drawings at work. Word spread among breeders, trainers, and owners, and a career in equine portraiture quietly began.
After earning a business degree and stepping away from art, the same pattern emerged — someone noticed her horse sketches, and commissions started again. This time she transitioned to pastel, capturing horses, racing pigeons, and other animal subjects with precision and personality.
Determined to refine her technique, Nanci searched for a school that took classical realism seriously. That search led to The Atelier in Minneapolis, where she enrolled full-time and completed the rigorous five-year program. Today she paints and teaches the business side of art to the next generation of painters coming through the same program.
Equine portraits present specific photographic demands — dark, richly toned animal fur, fine hair detail, and the kind of surface variation that needs even, calibrated lighting to read correctly. Nanci has been bringing her horse portraits to this studio for years, and getting those details right is something we’ve worked out together.
If you paint equine portraits or commissioned animal work — where the client knows the subject and will notice if the coat color is off — that’s exactly what this studio is set up for. Schedule your own session →
