John Yato

The artist, John Yato, was born within sight of Mount Fuji, Japan, on May 13, 1950. At the age of nine he moved to the United States with his family. He worked as a designer and illustrator for sixteen years. Stylistically, John is a very versatile artist, perhaps best known for the realistic style of his California landmark paintings. "I utilize a variety of styles to capture everchanging scenes of life" says John. His subject matter is also varied, ranging from scenes of his home city to architecture, wildlife, landscapes, figures and seascapes. On his travels to Japan, Hawaii, Europe and Mexico, he returns with many sketches, photographs and videotapes recording his observations. His aim is to create works that will stand the test of time and raise watercolors to the status historically enjoyed by oil paintings. John's works are included in the collections of: Gregory Peck, Betty White, Simon and Simon TV show, Major Dad TV show, President L. Johnson, Vice Admiral Robert K. Kihune, the Major of Yokohama, Japan, the mayor of Mexico City and PM TV host Pat Brown. His works are also hung in many of the well known U.S. Navy ships such as The Battleship USS Missouri, Carrier USS Constellation, Carrier USS Kitty Hawk, Carrier USS Independence and many others. John has had many one man shows, taught and has done numerous demonstrations throughout Southern California, USA.