BIO: Kinuko is a fantasy artist who considers herself to be a storyteller. She was born in Japan and graduated BFA 1962 from the Kanazawa Municipal College of Fine and Industrial Art and when she came to the U.S. she studied at the Art Institute of Chicago, learning about design and illustration. Afterwards, she worked at many well-known Chicago art studios and by the end of the 60s, her work was in high demand and she started her successful and ongoing career as a free lance illustrator. Much of her work appeared in magazines and newspapers but since the 90s, she has focused her work on fantasy book covers, children's picture books, and book jackets.
CV: She has won well over a hundred awards to date, been elected to the Hall of Fame of the Society of Illustrators, been awarded Gold and Silver Medals from the Society of Illustrators, The Grand Master Award from the Society of Illustrators and various accolades dating back to the 1990’s. She has had numerous exhibitions and done guest lectures and workshops at The Art Center College of Design, The Academy of Art College in San Francisco, the Washington DC Society of Illustrators, The Art institute of Boston, Syracuse University, The Rhode Island School of Design, The School of Visual Arts in New York among many others.
Medusa
Original Legacy Collection
Oil on Board
I really like how simplified this piece is - it is not strictly realistic and has almost an animated quality to them. The patterning in the hair and the starkness of the eyes are interesting. The indistinct and far away background gives the figure a setting but still always the viewer to focus on the woman.
I also like the mythological subject.
Pandora
Original Painting
Oil on Board
Size 18'' x 26''
Oil on gesso pane
I really like the contrasting and bright colors in this and though the figure is a person, there is something distinctly unearthly about her because of the setting. I like the distant landscape and incorporeal-feeling of her clothes and body. She is the source of light which is interesting
Monarchs
Oil on Board
10.5'' x 10.5''
Gold lead and oil over watercolor base
This piece is very sureal which is why I like it. again the artist has used complimentary colors and a distant background of mountains. I notice a common theme of having there be flowers and in this case. butterflies. in the hair. This hair is also more patterned and the face is a little more
realistic than the Medusa's face. There is less strong lighting in this one as well and the figure doesn't seem inhuman like the others either.