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Biography |
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Akiko Watanabe was born and raised in Japan. She studied electrical engineering, Japanese art and culture, and English, and became a professional technical translator of English and Japanese. In 1981 she moved to the San Francisco Bay Area where she shares her house with her large family of cats, who are often the models for her art. Akiko was always interested in art and is self-taught in painting. Her media include acrylics, watercolor, and pastel, and her favorite subjects include cats and wildlife, sometimes with a Japanese theme. - Five of her paintings won awards in San Mateo County Fair, San Mateo, California, in August 2008: - 2007 eBay Artist's Choice Awards:
- A Sunny Spot was awarded the First Place in the Miniature Art competition, and Home Alone and In The Tenderness of Light were awarded Honorable Mention in the Oil/Acrylic Paintings competition in San Mateo County Fair, San Mateo, California, in August 2007. - Please! Please! (ACEO: Retriever #2) was awarded the First Place and In the Light the Third Place in the Miniature Art competition in San Mateo County Fair, San Mateo, California, in August 2006. - Through the Eyes of a Cougar" was accepted for the juried art exhibit "Bold Expressions," hosted by Northern California Arts, Inc., in Carmichael, California, in October 2005. - Hummingbird was awarded the Third Place in the Domestic Animals competition; Bird Watching Honorable Mention in the Domestic Animals competition; and, Through the Eyes of a Cougar Honorable Menion in the Oil/Acrylic Paintings competition as well as the Wildlife competition, in San Mateo County Fair, San Mateo, California, in August 2005. - The Leopard Observes... and An Encounter were accepted for the juried art show "4rd Annual Friends of Columbian Park Zoo Wildlife Art Show," in Lafayette, Indiana, in September 2005. - Through the Eyes of a White Tiger was accepted for the juried art exhibit "Central Coast Fine Art Competition" in Morro Bay, California, in August, 2005. - Vanishing Point was accepted for the juried art exhibit "52nd Annual Exhibition" by National Society of Painters in Casein and Acrylic, inc., in New York in July, 2005. - An Evening Outing and Through the Eyes of a Tiger were accepted for Girardot National Juried Exhibition, Cape Girardeau, Missouri, in July 2005. - Home Alone was accepted for the 18th National Juried Art Exhibition, Mableton, Georgia, in July 2005. - On Duty was accepted for the Rome Art Coterie 2005 National Juried Show, Rome, Georgia, in June 2005. - An Encounter was accepted for the 18th International Exhibition on Animals in Art, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in March 2005. - Home Alone was accepted for the 43rd Tri-State National Exhibition at Beaumont Art League in Beaumont, Texas, in February 2005. - Vanishing Point was accepted for the Watercolor and Pastel Show Juried Exhibition in Bend, Oregon, in November 2004. - Lionheart and Snowbound were accepted for the juried art show "3rd Annual Friends of Columbian Park Zoo Wildlife Art Show," in Lafayette, Indiana, in September 2004. - Snowbound and Lionheart were accepted for the juried art show "Literature, Liberty and Art" in Northbrook, Illinois, in August, 2004. - Vanishing Point and Rescued received Honorable Mention in the Domestic Animals and Wildlife competitions, respectively, in San Mateo County Fair, San Mateo, California, in August 2004. - To the Shore was accepted for the juried art exhibit "51st Annual Exhibition" by National Society of Painters in Casein and Acrylic, inc., in New York in July, 2004. - Sunday Afternoon was accepted for the juried art exhibit "Central Coast Fine Art Competition" in Morro Bay, California, in July, 2004. - Pals, To the Shore, and Ant were accepted for the juried art exhibit "WORLD OF ART" in Mableton, Georgia, in April, 2004. - Praying Mantis was accepted for the 42nd Tri-State National Exhibition at Beaumont Art League in Beaumont, Texas, in February, 2004. - Catnip was accepted for Arts Central November Juried Watercolor and Pastel Show at Mirror Pond Gallery in Bend, Oregon, in November, 2003. - Beetle was accepted for Smithtown Township Arts Council's 28th Annual Juried Fine Arts Exhibition at the Mills Pond House (St James, New York) in October 2003. - Watcher was accepted for the Second Annual Juried Art Show "The Magic of Animals," at Friends of the Columbian Park Zoo in Indiana, in October 2003. - The Gaze received an Honorable Mention in the acrylics and oil competition in San Mateo County Fair, San Mateo, California, in August 2003. |
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