Hello. My name is Tomoko Ogawara. I was born in Japan in June 1958 (the year of the Rooster, where people born in the Rooster year cycle are said to be precise and like to express themselves artistically).

I am an artist who creates caricatures using traditional art medium, such as: watercolor, sumi ink and markers. But I also love to work with computer graphics and illustration. I am the executive director of the Hoshinoko Production, Ltd. caricature company near Tokyo. Please see our extensive home page at: www.hoshinoko.co.jp describing a range of caricature products, services and especially samples of over 40 talented artist members that we are proud to feature. We can now draw one person or a whole company staff or happy people on their wedding day. We are one of only a few full service caricature companies in the world.

Started formally in September of 1989, Hoshinoko Production, Ltd. is under the direction of Mr. Koji Akihisa, who is also a fine artist and a trusted, friendly business leader. He bridges the ideas of directors of popular sight-seeing locations, with the talent of many artists who can't wait to draw visitors.

By the way, in Japan the word we use for caricature is: "nigaoe," which generally means, "a fast portrait or likeness." It sounds a little like, "knee-ga-o-way." That word is not in many travel dictionaries about Japan. So you now know how to say a special Japanese word!

In Japan, we like to watch TV and read the newspapers maybe as much as you do. Artist members of Hoshinoko Production, Ltd. have been featured on Japanese television since 1990 or so. I was honored to be featured in the "TV CHAMPION" caricature competition many times, and even won first place. It is a clever and sometimes stressful contest amoung some of the best Japanese artists and illustrators. My work and other member artists are used by TV stations all the time to this day.

Regarding newspapers and magazines, my caricature art has been featured in several articles in magazines. We even started a trend of creating the caricature of the newspaper writers themselves!

In August 19, 2005, one of the happiest days in my life was winning "First Place" in a caricature competition hosted by, "The Yomiuri Shinbun," (page 17) which was recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest daily newspaper in Japan and the best circulation in the world. To come ahead of five talented men who were also top winners and finalists in the illustration and caricature business is a humble honor. I still do newspaper caricature of politians and celebrities. I guess I must have drawn over 10,000 customers live at several of Hoshinoko's caricature shops all over Japan. It makes me laugh when guests laugh at their caricature.

We want to be happy together; the caricature artist and the customer! That is the best result.

I love to teach people to have fun with caricature. Many people notice when someone looks similar to someone else. Since 2004, I am a published writer of several books that teach my method of how to get a likeness of the face in a fun way. These books are for kids and adults too. I have even given lessons by mail to young artist students.

Regarding art clubs, I have presented workshops at the, "IN FACE Society of Japan," where artist members study every detail of the face, head, muscles, the skull and what controls human expression and how to capture it in art. I love to explore variations in form, design, light or color value and harmony.

My caricature work has helped me make many friends all over the world. I have won high honors and awards with the National Caricaturist Network (NCN) in America, even winning NCN's highest award: "The Golden Nosey."

My caricature and management work keeps me very busy. But I am always interested in learning a new method of doing caricature. Or maybe refining an art technique.

In my free time, I do enjoy listening to jazz music by going to live concerts with friends. Maybe there is a strong comparison between jazz music and the flow of lively caricature art! Maybe great caricature visual art is the "jazz" of traditional portrait illustration or painting. Maybe art can help us all communicate and understand each other much better.

One of my dreams is to start a caricature museum that would showcase caricatures from all over the world. Maybe visiting artists at a future museum would be able to draw guests and talk about how they do it. It would be a fun and very creative place for kids and adults to play with art materials and draw each other.

I am also very proud of my son who is doing well in school. Please enjoy any of the artist members of Hoshinoko Production, Ltd. They are all talented, hard working and fun loving people. Your smile after seeing them draw your jazzy caricature will make them smile too. - Tomoko Ogawara