TOMOKO PAYTON / ペイトン友子 

おふたりの人生で最も特別な日を、時を超えて受け継がれる絵画として永遠に記録することを使命とする。

米ライブ・ウェディング・ペインティングのパイオニアであるAgness Russo氏に師事。ウェディングの他、2023年イタリア・パルマArt Parma Fair、パリ・ルーブル美術館Carrousel du Louvreで開催のSalon Art Shopping Paris等、国内外のアートフェアに出展。ハイパークラスの錦鯉など日本の美しいモチーフを描く海外向けライン”NATURE JAPAN”を手掛け、クライアントには国内外の迎賓館や著名人が名を連ねる。

プライベートではアメリカ人の夫を持つ国際結婚。娘2人（中学生／小学生）、一人暮らしの夫の息子(30歳／アメリカ人）がいる。名前は本名。東京都在住。慶應義塾大学文学部卒。

Tomoko’s journey into painting commenced during her high school exchange program in the United States. Her very first paid commission was from her art teacher, earning $50 for a painting of the teacher’s children. This marked the beginning of her artistic career. The event garnered attention in the local newspaper, leading to a surge in portrait commissions from fellow students who wanted their school photos transformed into paintings.

Upon returning to Japan, Tomoko continued painting as a part-time artist, selling over 100 paintings by 2002. Despite working full-time for global companies for over two decades, she was surprised to discover the popularity of “live wedding painting” at American weddings, a concept she had envisioned in the past. Inspired, she took up her first live wedding painting just two weeks later, deciding to pursue a new career driven by her passion. Her unique skill involves incorporating absent individuals into paintings using photographs. Notably, she has showcased her work at Salon Art Shopping Paris at the Carrousel du Louvre in October 2023. Beyond weddings, she is engaged in “NATURE JAPAN,” a line tailored for international customers that showcases exquisite Japanese motifs, including the hyper-class Koi-fish.

Currently residing in Tokyo, Japan, with her American husband, a stepson, and two daughters, Tomoko is a graduate of Keio University with a BA in Literature. Her story is a testament to the pursuit of one’s passion, even after building a “safe” career for over two decades.