| About the Artist
Kumi has a strong foundation in the classical arts having first studied illustration at Nichibi Art Institue in Japan, and then received her BFA in Combined Art (designed for art education field) from Universidad de las Americas in Puebla, Mexico. She then went on to study portrait painting on apprenticeship under a master portrait artist in Madrid, Spain.
She started as a professional portrait painter under the contract of both U.S. Navy and Air Force in the San Francisco Bay Area. Through these military contracts, she taught painting classes at the hobby center on the base as well as painting oil portraits of uniformed military personnel. At the same time she began teaching portrait painting at some of the studios and private homes in the San Francisco Bay Area. About that time a very unique fate occurred to her that she was discovered by a Black American lady, an agent for portraiture painting among successful Black American people. Before she knew she found herself an expert in portraying this group of people with grace and dignity through this lady as her agent, and they produced many works from a Chicago police officer, musicians in the South, to a reverend of major San Francisco church.
In her early work career, she worked for a company that puts on trade shows for Women’s Wear industry where she got practical experience in the commercial side of art and design. This experience served her well when in the 1990’s went to work for Delta Ceramcoat under the director of creative and educational services. During the trade shows she dealt with both Japanese and Spanish speaking buyers, also assisted Delta with their sales and marketing in Japan. After the Delta’s creative & educational services dissolved, she went to work for Daler-Rowney promoting its products during the trade shows. With this experience Kumi made close association with Japanese art & craft industry along with many painters in Japan where she is from.
In teaching of portraiture painting, Kumi teaches the technique both in oil and soft pastels that is not common to the American painters which leads to more successful results. And she believes that this is her mission as a teacher to introduce this fresh technique to the American painters to add to their existing one.
Professional Services
Offered
- Instructs teachers
- Teaches portraits Techniques in oil & soft pastels
- Demonstration of manufacturer's products and painting techniques using them.
(Strong in dealing with buyers and teachers from Japan & Spanish speaking countries in the art & craft trade shows)
- Workshops and Classes
- Hands-on, Paint-along seminars
Also Offering
- Commission portraits in oil and soft pastels
- Design packets of Pigma pens with watercolor wash
- Travel teaching – Call to set up a seminar or workshop in your area.
- Other: Able to take assignments for promotional trip of the manufacturers products to Japan
offering demonstration and product information.
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"Paul Newman"
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