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 rescue 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, oils, watercolor, graphite, Sumi ink, pastel, and colored pencils and her favorite subjects are animals, both domestic and wildlife. Her paintings, including miniatures, have won numerous awards in juried art competitions.

Website: www.akiko-watanabe.com

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