Keiko Tanabe: Capturing Light and Atmosphere in Watercolor

December 29, 2023 at 8:49 pm Leave a comment

Keiko Tanabe

She was born in Kyoto, Japan.
Nationality: Japanese
Occupation: Watercolor artist, instructor, author
Unique distinction: Keiko Tanabe is known for her mastery of the loose and expressive style of vibrant plein-air watercolor painting, seamlessly blending traditional Japanese sumi-e ink techniques with Western watercolor methods. She is recognized for her unique ability to infuse her watercolor paintings with a sense of tranquillity and emotional depth
Influenced by: Alvaro Castagnet, American and Japanese watercolor masters
Movement: Impressionism, Realism.
Styles: Tanabe’s style can be in general described as impressionistic, with a focus on capturing light, color, and mood in her paintings. Her creative style can be best characterized as loose and expressive, with a focus on capturing the play of light and shadow, on conveying the atmosphere and mood of each subject.
Watercolor Painting. Tanabe is known for her mastery of the watercolor medium, utilizing techniques such as wet-on-wet and dry-brush. Her favourite is Wet-on-wet technique, which involves applying paint to wet paper, allowing the colors to blend and flow together organically.
Subjects: Landscapes, cityscapes, floral still lifes, showcasing her keen observational skills in capturing the beauty of both natural and urban environments. She finds beauty in ordinary moments and seeks to convey the emotions associated with these experiences through her artwork.

Achievements and main contribution to art:
Her main contribution to art lies in her ability to capture the beauty and spirit of various locations through her unique watercolor technique. She has held numerous solo exhibitions globally and has been featured in prestigious art publications.
Her paintings are held in private collections and have been exhibited in renowned art galleries and museums around the world. She also had her paintings published in leading art magazines in the U.S., Europe and Japan.
Her art has been enjoyed by many in nine self-published books as well as on four DVDs that have been produced to date. She published book “Journey Home Volume 1: My Watercolor Paintings of Japanese Landscapes 2005 – 2015”, a collection of selected watercolor works of Japanese landscapes that includes more than 180 paintings of the places she visited in the last 10 years
Additionally, Tanabe has also authored instructional books and conducted workshops and demonstrations, sharing her expertise and passion for watercolor painting with aspiring artists. Since 2011, she has been invited to and completed successfully hundreds of workshops and numerous live demonstrations around the world.

Family background:
Grew up in an art-loving family in Kyoto. Her father is a renowned scholar of French literature in Japan. Won numerous children’s art awards, fostering early artistic passion. As a young child, she enjoyed the arts including drawing and painting. She said, «My very first plein-air experience was when I was 6 years old (and I enjoyed it), and I participated in many outdoor painting events for children».
Education background:
She earned a B.A. in intercultural communication from International Christian University in Tokyo, Japan She came to the US to study at UCLA in 1990. Later Keiko earned an M.A. in international education from UCLA in California
She was mostly self-taught, focusing on developing her unique watercolor style. She learned basic drawing and watercolor painting skills at a local community school in San Diego.
Attended a workshop by Alvaro Castagnet in 2005, a pivotal moment in her artistic journey.

Professional work experience:
She worked in international relations positions in a Japanese government trade organization in Tokyo, at a large law firm in San Francisco and at a private consulting firm in San Diego. Keiko embarked on a professional art career in 2005 and started exhibiting publicly. Keiko Tanabe has had solo exhibitions in galleries and museums around the world, including the prestigious Salmagundi Club in New York City (2019). She has also served as a juror for international watercolor competitions.
In 2015 she was named an official Ambassador for Winsor & Newton.
In 2018, she was appointed to the advisory board of the American Watercolor Weekly.
In 2018 and 2019, she was invited to be a faculty member for the Plein Air Convention & Expo, the world’s largest plein-air painting event.
Personality traits: Keiko Tanabe is known for her humble and dedicated approach to her art. She is generous and dedicated to her craft. She is passionate about capturing the beauty of the world around her and expressing it through her paintings. Shares her knowledge and love of watercolor with enthusiasm. She said that passion, the joy of creating, being helpful and watching other people discover joy kept her engaged and committed to your craft over the years.
In her free time, she enjoys exploring nature, travelling, and immersing herself in different cultures, which further inspires her artistic endeavours.
Keiko currently lives in San Diego, California.