Born in Japan in 1937, Nobuo “Nicky” Watanabe has made a life for himself as an artist. Although he began his creative career as an actor and an advertising film director, he eventually turned to painting. While obtaining a formal art education, Watanabe studied color techniques in California, eventually falling in love with America and moving to San Francisco.

Watanabe’s unique style is influenced by the work of Norman Rockwell, Grandma Moses, and Grant Wood, and portrays whimsical and quaint scenes of Americana. He calls himself a “precisionist” and his work is often admired for its great detail and meticulous attention to every part of the images he creates. Watanabe’s original paintings and remarkable limited edition fine art prints can be found in private, corporate, and public collections across the United States and around the world.