Nakao captured this cute 2-year-old and her dog at the request of her doting grandmother.
A nail tech for 15 years, Nakao trained both in California and her native Japan, where she also studied fine art, including oil painting and graphic design. “I knew it would be hard to make a living as an artist,” says Nakao. “That’s why I chose nails — because it would allow me to paint.”
In 1994, an artist client offered her a job as an assistant painter, taking Nakao to France for several months to paint murals in her home. When other clients heard about her new skill, she received invitations to adorn their walls as well. She also decorates furniture as well as walls.
“Now I’m getting work mostly through word-of-mouth,” she says.
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