Table of Contents
After spending 30 years as a graphic designer, Kristine Kamikawa got “tired of being at a PC all day,” so five years ago she took a painting class at Rubini Art.
“I loved it!” she exclaims during a recent interview.
Kamikawa says she sold some of her work at a Newburyport Art festival and thought, she says, “I could help pay for the kids’ college.” Kamikawa has a 21-year-old daughter and 18-year-old twins.
The artist grew up in Green Bay, Wis. and calls herself “a cheesehead.”
“I moved here in 2008,” she says. “I really wanted a small town, after living in the city.”
Her genre is photorealism, the art of painting with exact details, mimicking a photograph. And although she sells her paintings, Kamikawa says, “Some folks can’t afford them, so I started making ‘price-point friendly’ objects,” including prints, greeting cards and coasters.
When asked how much time she spends painting, she says, “I try to paint for about 20 hours a week, more if I have a show coming up.”
Does she have a studio? No.
“I paint in my office or on the dining table,” says this Chester Street resident. “While I’m painting, I’m very relaxed. I grew up drawing but never thought I’d be a painter. But I love capturing the beauty in mundane things. I’ve always had art in my life, and I love being creative — it’s just part of who I am.”
To find out more, visit: https://www.kristinekamikawa.com/
