We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Yoko Sano a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Yoko, thanks for joining us today. Can you take us back in time to the first dollar you earned as a creative – how did it happen? What’s the story?

The first person who bought a painting from me was my mother’s customer. My mother owns a beauty salon, and the painting was displayed in her shop. It was a painting of the sunset with clouds, inspired by the sky above the beach where I grew up.

When my mother’s customer looked at this painting of the sunset, he said he felt soothed and relaxed. Before this experience, I didn’t think of myself as a professional artist. I always drew for fun and because it was satisfying to me. But I remember being so happy that someone wanted to pay for a painting, and that he had such an emotional reaction when looking at it. I felt in that moment the power that art has.

After that, I started posting my paintings on my blog and Instagram, and I started getting messages from people asking me to sell them, or to teach them how to draw in my style. So I started an online shop and began teaching lessons.

Drawing is a communication tool that not only allows me to express what I like, but also connects me with people. Every experience drawing a commission is a chance for me to be a positive presence in someone else’s life every time they look at my painting.

Yoko, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Yoko Sano, and I’m a visual artist specializing in painting with acrylic paints and pastel. I also work with resin and other materials to create art. I’m originally from Hayama, Japan, a small coastal town near Tokyo. Where I grew up is walking distance from the beach, so I always saw the beautiful sea, sky and sunset. This was my first inspiration to start painting, and I still specialize in scenes from nature. But my subjects have also expanded to include a variety of scenes, from portraits of humans and animals to still life to more complex commissions. Recently, this works has included multiple album covers for jazz musicians in New York City, where I currently live, as well as a commissioned set of art for a custom oracle card deck (to be released soon).

One of my main techniques is to draw with pastels using my fingers. Touching the colors with your fingers has a very relaxing effect, and it allows a direct connection to the canvas and the subject of the painting. I love exploring colors, and many of my classes involve teaching people about blending colors and using gradients in art as they appear naturally in the sky and in nature, I also love pastels because they are an art material that can be used and enjoyed by everyone from children to the elderly, and from beginner artists to professionals, and everyone can create something beautiful. So I want as many people as possible to experience it.

I often receive messages from people who see my paintings and say that they feel a healing power from them, whether that is a relief from stress or unhappy emotions, or a more spiritual connection to the art. Personally, I’ve experienced this kind of connection when I look at other people’s paintings. My goal is to draw works that will make people feel this emotional release when they see them.

I love challenges and since moving to New York City, I’ve had many opportunities to be inspired by new materials, and to draw commissioned works outside the scope of what I had previously explored in Japan. I feel like I’m at the beginning of a new chapter with my art, and I’m so excited to see what the next couple of years has in store. If you feel inspired by my art and have an idea of a commission you would like me to draw, I would love to connect with you!

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

My favorite part of being an artist is the moment of connection I feel when another person looks at my painting for the first time. When I finish a commission for a customer, when I see the joy the customer feels the moment they see the painting, and when I receive a photo of them and their impressions, I feel such satisfaction. As an artist, that moment is the culmination of a lot of difficult work and a long time spent perfecting the piece. It’s the moment when I understand the value of the time that I put in. Painting is often a solitary art form, and I spend a lot of time alone while I’m working on a painting. I thoroughly enjoy this time as well, which is very meditative and satisfying. But when I see the customer’s reaction, it allows me to enjoy that process and those feelings together with other people finally. It’s a beautiful feeling, and it motivates to keep drawing and working on getting better as an artist.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

My big turning point in life was getting married and moving from Japan to New York in 2022. At that point in my life, I had never traveled to another country before. My life, environment, language, culture, everything had changed. It took me some time to adjust to a new lifestyle, and it felt like a dream for a long time, But though it was a big change, the transition to my new life has been very smooth and full of joy. It’s all thanks to the support of the people around me, including my husband, his parents, my family in Japan, and the many new friends I made in New York. When the people around you support your dream and your goals, I feel like I can pursue my career no matter where I am.

I moved to New York to be with my husband, but as an artist, this move has had a great effect as well. Compared to Japan, where my life had a very structured routine, and life was very peaceful and quiet, New York is constantly changing and active. Every day, I look forward to seeing what kind of inspiration I’ll find in New York, where each moment is like an adventure and has so many surprises. In this new setting, I know I’ll be able to create art that I never would have imagined before. And I’ll also be able to take the beautiful experiences I’ve had working in Japan and use them as a foundation for my new career experiences.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ameblo.jp/ironomorimoon/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ironomorimoon
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ironomoripastel