kimi story

When I was three years old, my parents noticed that I was pretty good at drawing and coloring in the lines. "Hey, she’s not that bad!" they said, and so my journey and love for art began! Growing up in Carpinteria, California, I always enjoyed art - from the pastel classes I took in elementary school, to my high school painting and drawing electives.  My very first pet portrait, Pau (poodle terrier mix), was a gift for my mom on Mother's day! And the pet portraits have continued on to this day. 

After resolving I wasn’t going to pursue English, chemistry, or anything related to math, I moved to Hawaii to earn my degree in studio art at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.  Art was my passion and therapy, and I was fortunate enough to have parents who supported my decision.

However art was not my immediate career path after college.  Rather it slowly evolved over the years.  It took working at different desk jobs and at various elementary schools to discover that art is what I really love. And it all started with several requests for various paintings.  The support and encouragement from those initial “clients,” including a former roommate, Misty, as well as my artistic relative, Aunty Pat, were the initial nudges to help me consider my art more seriously.  I realized I was actually more afraid of putting myself out there and selling my art rather than settling into another full-time job, working from nine to five.  In the end, a close cousin of mine and mentor, Jaime, gave me the final push that helped define my dream of being an artist.  The entire journey has been a leap of faith and my little and fearful dream has become a small and exciting reality. 

I specialize in painting from photographs and transform pictures of your furry family members into custom pieces of art. I work especially with acrylic paint on canvas or wooden panels, as well as ink drawings. In addition to pet portraits, I paint landscapes and anything really that can be photographed. 

If I'm not painting, I love watching movies on Netflix (particularly dramas), chilling at home, and listening to live music. I also enjoy surfing, taking care of my plants (if they’re still alive), and hanging out with my friends. My family means the world to me and I often visit California to spend time with my mom, dad, older sister, younger brother, and of course, Pau.