Self portrait while painting Eric, 2017, Oil on canvas, 24"x36"

Raina (b. 1987) is originally from Beijing, China. After she graduated from the University of Hong Kong with a Bachelor of Science degree in Actuarial Science in 2010, she moved to New York City to purse a Masters degree in Computational Finance at the business school of Carnegie Mellon University. She then worked for two years at investment banks as a strategist until Jacob Collins and fellow artists from Grand Central Atelier awoke her passion for art. In 2013 she began her studies in classical drawing and painting techniques. Her works have various subjects including figure, portrait, and still life. She started teaching in the summer of 2016 and her first workshop was still life painting at Grand Central Atelier. She was awarded several scholarships during her study, including the 3rd place in the 2016 Art Renewal Center scholarship competition. In December 2016 she graduated from school and now is working as full time artist. 

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