LPAPA Signature Artist Keiko Tanabe
Carlsbad, California
www.KTanabeFineArt.com

Keiko was born in Kyoto, Japan.  As a child growing up in an art-loving family, she always enjoyed drawing and painting and won many awards in children’s art contests.  However, art was not her chosen field of study later on.  She earned a B.A. in intercultural communication (International Christian University, Tokyo, Japan) and an M.A. in international education (UCLA, California).  She then worked in international relations positions in a Japanese government trade organization in Tokyo, at a large law firm in San Francisco and at a private consulting firm in San Diego.  For decades, she has traveled extensively, mainly in European countries, Asia and North America.

Through all these years, Keiko knew there was in her heart the growing desire to someday become an artist.  That, fueled by her love of travel and strong interest in other cultures, eventually found its way out in 2003.  After learning basic drawing and watercolor painting skills at a local community school in San Diego, she took on her first project as an artist together with her father, a renowned scholar of French literature in Japan.

Received LPAPA Signature Artist designation in 2019

LPAPA Signature Artist W. Jason Situ
El Monte, California
JasonSituFineArt.com

Jason Situ immigrated to the United States with his family in 1989. He was fascinated by the beautiful California landscape and soon decided to become a plein air painter. In 1997, he became a full-time artist and has shown his work across the United States. Jason is a prolific, dedicated painter, receiving numerous awards in prestigious juried art competitions.