| Kay Yokoyama |
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Kay Yokoyama was born in Hilo. When she was a child, she won first prize in an art competition among elementary schools in Hiroshima, Japan, which resulted in school-sponsored private lessons during the two years she was in Japan. Throughout her working years as a psychiatric social worker, she took art courses whenever possible. Kay credits John Thomas, one of Hawai‘i’s foremost painters, with awakening her to color theory. Richard Nelson, a well respected painter and art educator, greatly influenced her with his Tri-Hue painting method and his teaching on the subject of luminosity. Now retired, she continues to seek growth through learning. Kay uses a variety of media, including watercolor, pastel, acrylic, oil, colored pencils, Japanese brush painting, and clay modeling. She regularly exhibits in juried shows around the state and has won two Acquisition Awards by the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts for its collection. artist’s statement: “For the most part I paint intuitively, paying close attention to color since I believe that color is what painting is about. Since colors show emotion, I express moods and feeling through color. When I think that something I paint might speak to another person—that the viewer might share the same feelings of awe, joy, solemnity—I am inspired to record those precious moments in time and space. Nearly all my paintings portray some aspects of local life and scenery.” |
