Keiko Tanabe is an award-winning watercolor artist. Her paintings have been juried into many exhibitions across the U.S. and in her native country. Her work has been purchased by collectors in the U.S., Japan, Canada, Germany and Ireland.
Keiko was born in Kyoto, Japan. As a child growing up in an art-loving family, she always enjoyed drawing and painting and won many awards in children’s art contests. However, art was not her chosen field of study later on. She earned a B.A. in intercultural communication (International Christian University, Tokyo, Japan) and an M.A. in international education (UCLA, California). She then 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 before she became a stay-at-home mother in 1996. In the last 20 years, she has traveled extensively, mainly in European countries, Asia and North America.
Through all these years, Keiko knew there was in her heart the growing desire to someday become an artist. That, fueled by her love of travel and strong interest in other cultures, eventually found its way out in 2003. After learning basic drawing and watercolor painting skills at a local community school in San Diego, she took on her first project as an artist together with her father, a renowned scholar of French literature in Japan. Through the Azure Sea and Sky of Provence: A Tribute to Her Joie de Vivre (Kosei Publishing, Osaka, Japan; details) was published in August, 2003, authored by her father and illustrated by Keiko. From then on, she intensely taught herself to be fluent in watercolor painting, just as one would do to master a foreign language.
Keiko embarked on a professional art career in 2005 and started exhibiting publicly. She also discovered the joy of plein-air painting in a workshop with Alvaro Castagnet in April that year. Since then she’s been enjoying outdoor painting often together with her son and artist friends. Keiko lives and works in San Diego, California with her son who is a budding artist himself. Keiko was selected to be a featured artist of ArtWalk 2008.
Mission Bay (San Diego, CA)
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
- San Diego Watercolor Society
- Watercolor West (juried member)
- American Watercolor Society
- American Women Artists
- Wyoming Watercolor Society (signature member)
- Mississippi Watercolor Society
ArtWalk 2008
PUBLICATION/MEDIA COVERAGE
- Informed Collector, FineArtStudioOnline (May 7, 2008, details)
- Splash 10: Passionate Brushstrokes, North Light Books (May, 2008, details).
- Del Mar Times Arts & Culture, Del Mar Times (May 16, 2008, details)
- Prism, San Diego Watercolor Society (March, 2008; page 6; 2008-march.pdf (.pdf)).
"When I am true to my inspiration, my brushstrokes sometimes surprise me by exposing something of my inner spirit I was not even aware of."
SELECTED AWARDS IN JURIED EXHIBITIONS
- Best of Show (2008, 2007, 2006); Best Theme Painting Award (2008); Best of Miniatures (2007, 2006, 2005); Second Place (2007, 2006); Third Place (2008, 2007, 2006) – San Diego Watercolor Society Juried Member Exhibit
- Honorable Mention (2008) – Louisiana Watercolor Society 38th International Exhibition
- Merit Award (2008) – Society of Watercolor Artists 27th Annual Juried Art Exhibition
- Atlanta Artists Center Award (2008); Dr. Ph Martin's Hydrus Fine Art Watercolor Award (2006) – Georgia Watercolor Society National Exhibition
- Merit Award (2008) – Watercolor Art Society - Houston 31st Annual International Exhibition
- Second Place (2007) – The Richeson 75: Landscape & Exteriors Competition
- Third Place (2007); Honorable Mention (2005) – Wyoming Watercolor Society Annual National Exhibition
- Cheap Joe's Art Stuff Award (2007) – Pittsburgh Watercolor Society Aqueous Open 2007
- Jack Richeson & Co., Inc. Award (2007) – Red River Watercolor Society National Watermedia Exhibition
- Winsor & Newton Award, Artist & Craftsman Supply Co. Award, Travel Show Award (2006) – Kentucky Watercolor Society National Aqueous USA
- Grand Prize (2005); Honorable Mention (2006) – Learning & Product Expo Juried Art Show
- Third Place and Vernon Council of the Arts Award (2006) – Red River Valley Museum National Juried Art Exhibition
- Robert Reynolds Founder’s Award (2006) – Central Coast Watercolor Society Aquarius Pacific Regional Exhibition
- First Place (2007); Second Place (2006, 2005); Honorable Mention (2008) – San Diego County Fair Art Show
- First Place (2007) – La Jolla Art Association Open Juried Exhibition of Plein-Air Artwork
- Second Place (2007) – Southwestern Artists’ Association Annual Juried Art Show
- Juror’s Commendation (2007) – Brandon Gallery “Small Treasures” Fine Art Show
- Honorable Mention (2007, 2006) – Studio Art & Design Open Juried Watermedia Exhibit
- Certificate of Merit (2007) – La Jolla Art Association's Annual San Diego County Awards Show
- Third Place (2007, 2006) – The Olde Ramona Hotel Gallery Annual Fine Arts Show
- Honorable Mention (2007) – San Dieguito Art Guild "Small Image: Annual Southern California Art Show"
- First Place (2006) – Carlsbad-Oceanside Art League Annual Open Juried Fine Arts Show
