After many years working in the fashion industry, Aki has explored new mediums of expression, namely watercolors. She has found the painstaking and detailed method of layering one wash over another to carefully paint her subjects directly connects to her cultural background. Aki's aunt and uncle in Japan were artists and calligraphers. As she looks at their work, she realizes that she inherited her meticulous and sensitive approach from them. Even though Aki was born in New York and has lived in the US most of her life, she feels a strong connection to her Japanese heritage. As a former designer, taste has always been important to Aki. The fashion design experience helped her hone her sense for colors and eye for composition. All these elements-her Japanese influence and fashion background constantly inspire Aki and serve as the foundation for her artwork. Recently, Aki has been working on a new series of portraits of close family members. She loves capturing the expressions and moods of her subjects. These new portraits exude warmth, love and happiness, which are the feelings she possesses about life and my family. Aki tries to live her life with honesty and integrity, and she hopes her paintings reflect these values.