We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ayaka Prenton. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ayaka below.

Alright, Ayaka thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

Our family immigrated from Japan when I was 11. Initially, it was due to my dad’s temporary work assignment, but we ended up staying in the US permanently. Not being able to speak English and having had to start local middle school, I became exceptionally sensitive visually. I was very observant, and I truly longed for a way to communicate with others successfully. This is when I realized that I could express myself better by drawing what’s in my mind instead of trying to communicate verbally. It was a total game changer for me, because I became more confident in myself and learned the joy of being able to connect with others through my art/drawings. As I got older, I became more and more interested in visual expression and ended up pursuing a degree in fashion design.

Throughout this pre-teen/teenage years, my parents kept a nice distance for me to grow and explore on my own. They also respected me for tackling the obstacles, and acknowledged the hardships that I was going through. For me, that was all the support I needed, and I am grateful that I was able to learn at my own pace. They nurtured my independence, thus confidence, and trusted me with my decision making skills. That has impacted me in my life and career, because they never once doubted my decisions and commitments. They have been very supportive with all of my life decisions, and I am truly grateful for having this type of relationship with them!

Ayaka , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Hello, my name is Ayaka Prenton, and I am a contemporary artist working with watercolor and thread to create landscape, floral, and abstract art inspired by nature.

I stumbled into painting in the fall of 2017. I had two young children at the time, and I was looking for a personal growth outside of motherhood. I came across a beautiful floral painting on Instagram, and I felt the urge to I paint one myself. I painted during my son’s nap time. I painted at night. I chose a goal to create something every day, and I started to document my art journey on my IG @ayaka.m.p.art. As I progressed, I started to incorporate all the things I love into my pieces, and sewing became part of my work. My IG account started to gain more followers as I create new pieces, and here I am today!

My process begins intuitively, then transitions into exploring the role of unnatural element. I incorporate embroidery details on top of paints, utilizing the stitches much as a painter uses their brushes, creating depth and movement with the thread. My intention is to reflect the beauty that nature offers, while at the same time, explore the role of unnatural elements that exists within it, how human’s desires can turn something so imperfectly beautiful into something artificial, synthetic, and too perfect.

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

Being able to be true to myself, to love and enjoy the process, and to be found by those who resonates with my work. Art is a form of communication and expression for me. It’s my way to make connection with others. I find greatest joy when my art connects me with those who value them as much as I do!

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to unlearn my perfectionism and realize the beauty of imperfection and individuality. As a child growing up in Japan, I was taught the importance of conformity and perfection. I found joy in being able to draw cartoon and manga characters really well, and that was very important to me because it eventually helped me with communication and my self-confidence when I moved to the US. I really believed that being able to draw perfect still life was the most precious skill to have. I didn’t understand abstraction nor minimalism at all during that time. Then I went into fashion design and sewing a garment was all about precision and perfection. When I started painting in my 30’s, I had to learn to be more free and organic, and enjoy the process more than the outcome. I love experimenting and making mistakes, and sometimes those mistakes are more meaningful and beautiful than what was expected or the final outcome of the piece.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ayakampart.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ayaka.m.p.art/
• Other: Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/AyakaMPArt