I was attracted to painting from childhood and started oil painting when I was a teenager.

Around that time I was told my Grandfather (who had passed away before I was born) was a Japanese paint brush artist.

My painting stopped during the busy years of working, raising two children with my husband and taking care of my mother, who has since passed away. But now with time on my hands, I have started to paint again and feel the spirit of my Grandfather pushing and supporting my renewed journey into the world of oil painting.

Biography:

Michiko Sakai is a graduate of Asagaya Art School in Tokyo, Japan. She worked on cloisonné art works at Hirabayashi Shippo company in Tokyo. Cloisonné is an ancient technique for decorating objects with color, held in place or separated by copper strips, forming cells or cloisonné, each of which holds a single color or enamel paste which is then fired, ground and polished to finish.

Michiko lived for over 30 years in Southern California then moved to the Bay Area in 2012 to be closer to her children. She now lives in Benicia with her husband, dog and cat.