"I currently have a shelter cat 'Sora' at home. When I was thinking about drawing cats, I happened to find a beginner's book about colored pencil drawings at a bookstore. It just showed how to draw cats, so I started drawing with reference to that book at first."
-You started studying on your own in 2019, but have you had any opportunities to learn painting so far?
"When I was in high school, I was enrolled in the art club for a short time, but I was almost a member of the Yurei club. When I started drawing with colored pencils, I didn't have the idea of learning in the classroom. Speaking of 2019, it was around the time when the new coronavirus infection began to spread. I couldn't go out much, so I spent time at home and painted by myself."
-The cats and dogs that appear in Reiko's works have a realistic texture of their fur. How long did it take to reach this quality?
The flow of hair is directed in various directions on the face, so it is difficult to grasp it. Even now, I am worried every time I start working on a work, and I always think, 'How did I draw before?'"
-Is there a set procedure for creating a work?
"In my case, I start drawing with the eyes, and I myself like the eyes the most, so I can draw them without worrying too much. But when the eyes are completed, I am about 90% satisfied, and it is a little difficult from there. Every day, I face the painting and look at the flow of hair around my face, gradually getting closer to completion."
"I work full-time during the day, so when I get home, I dedicate an hour and a half to drawing. I used to work only on holidays, but my desire to draw more has become stronger, and now I try to draw every day. On holidays, if I don't have anything to do, I often draw from morning to night."
-Do you have a fixed colored pencil that you always use?
"When I started drawing colored pencils, I had a set of Faber Castel introduced in the book. However, I don't use flashy colors when drawing cats and dogs, so I often use brown, black, beige, etc. I also use several colors of Holbein colored pencils to express subtle color differences."
-You started drawing cats at first, but now you are also working on many dog works.
"When I showed my friend a picture of a cat that I had drawn, he said, 'I want you to draw my dog too.' I was a little worried because I had never had a dog, but when I showed him the finished picture, he said, 'It's my dog!' He was happy. I'm happy to be able to say that."
-Is there a difference in the way you draw cats and dogs?
"In the case of cats, the children we have seem to be half long-haired and half-short-haired, and their hair is long, so when I draw other cats, I am conscious of not making the hair too long. In the case of dogs, the hardness of the fur varies depending on the breed, so I draw it carefully. It is especially difficult for children with fluffy hair, such as Chihuahuas and toy poodles."
"I often get people say, 'It's amazing, it's fluffy.' Also, I often receive requests for paintings from people who have actually seen the work. I am most motivated when I draw a cat or dog that I have been asked to draw, or when I draw a child that I want to draw. Balancing work can be difficult, but I would like to continue exhibiting while balancing it well."
-Do you plan to use art supplies other than colored pencils in the future?
"The other day, I had the experience of "drawing on stone" for a group exhibition to be held in January 2024. Of course, colored pencils don't get color, so I drew at POSCA, but it was more fun than I expected. I would like to continue to focus on colored pencil drawings, and if I have the opportunity, I would like to use other art materials as well."
-Finally, please tell us your message to those who have seen your work and what you will do in the future.
Some of my customers say, 'I want to have a cat but can't,' and there are times when I had a cat but left for heaven. I would be happy if such people would think "it's good".
Also, there are people who look at the picture and think, "I want to keep it after all," but at that time, I would like you to take care of me as a member of the family until the end. I sometimes help volunteer for shelter cats, and I want more people to know that I can be welcomed as a family from such a place.
The time of cats and dogs living together as a family passes by 3~4 times faster than humans. I want to continue creating works with the desire to cherish the irreplaceable time of each day and give shape to an irreplaceable existence."