Yoko Loftis is a Japanese artist living in Oklahoma. She was born and raised in the Greater Tokyo area, at the age of 19, she moved to Shawnee, Oklahoma. After graduating from St. Gregory’s University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2006 she collaborated with an Oklahoma author to illustrate the children's book "Legend of the Reindeer Shoes." She continued her career by painting murals for local businesses as well as teaching classes in drawing and painting for local art galleries. 

 

She began painting custom portraits for pet owners in 2013 when she started working at the locally owned pet boutique. That time her children were young and she painted nights and weekends outside of working hours at the shop.

In a few years she began taking commissions online outside of Oklahoma. Through the decade she has commissioned more than a hundred pet portraits as a side business and gradually she paints full time to keep creating commission pet portraits as well as her personal projects. 

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My art is firmly rooted in the tradition of representational painting. I am drawn to intricate details and the tactile quality of visible brushwork, using them as a means of communication with the viewer. Each piece is a celebration of reality, a manifestation of how I perceive the world through the lens of optimism.