using WordPress and Original Fine Art by Kyoko Bartley
Japanese-Inspired Fine Art | Nature, Wildlife & Landscapes | Custom Commissions
Original paintings that bring artistic distinction, cultural depth, and moments of beauty and tranquility to thoughtfully designed spaces.
Explore a collection of original fine art inspired by Japanese aesthetics, the natural world, and contemporary visual expression.
Selected original artworks and custom commissions are available for consideration by hotels, corporate spaces, art consultants, interior designers, and private collectors.
Meet the Artist
Kyoko Bartley’s artistic journey began in childhood. Over the years, she has explored a wide range of visual disciplines, including painting, animation, comics, character design, and wildlife illustration. She has been accepting professional art commissions for more than 30 years.
For Bartley, creating art has always been a lifelong source of joy, learning, exploration, and sometimes inner struggle. Despite the challenges of artistic creation, she has never experienced a time when she did not want to paint.
As she approaches her fiftieth year, she finds herself at a meaningful turning point in her artistic journey.
In her earlier years, she placed particular emphasis on technical precision, accurate representation, and the refinement of artistic skills. While these qualities remain essential to her work, her artistic interests have gradually expanded beyond technical accomplishment.
With maturity has come a growing desire to communicate something deeper through her paintings — to invite viewers to pause, reflect, find comfort, and experience moments of peace and quiet contemplation.
Rather than offering a single message or interpretation, she hopes her artwork can create space for individual thoughts, feelings, and discoveries.
A Contemporary Interpretation of Japanese Aesthetics
Rooted in Japanese aesthetics and shaped by a contemporary perspective, Bartley’s fine art explores the relationship between tradition, nature, and modern visual expression.
She is particularly drawn to the refined beauty of traditional Japanese art — its deliberate use of negative space, the rhythm of repeated patterns, the arrangement of motifs, and the subtle balance between simplicity and ornamentation.
When she interprets these traditional elements through her own contemporary sensibilities and painting techniques, the results often take on an unexpectedly surreal and graphic quality.
Rather than reproducing historical styles, she creates her own visual language in which traditional Japanese elegance meets modern composition, expressive color, and a distinctive sense of space.
Her work ranges from acrylic paintings featuring Japanese motifs and metallic backgrounds to delicate watercolors inspired by wildlife and natural landscapes.
Across these different approaches, she maintains a deep appreciation for natural forms, visual rhythm, thoughtful composition, and the emotional experience of viewing art.
Artistic Background & Recognition
Since moving to New Jersey in 2016, Bartley has been actively involved in the regional arts community.
Between 2019 and 2026, she has presented approximately 15 solo exhibitions and participated in around 10 group exhibitions and collaborative displays, primarily at public libraries and other community venues throughout New Jersey.
An internationally award-winning visual artist, she was also a member of Princeton Makes, a local artist cooperative, for three years. Her artistic activities and exhibitions have been featured multiple times in local and regional publications.
View Full Artist Biography, Awards & Exhibitions
https://oekaki-princeton.com/about-kyoko-bartley/
Selected Fine Art
Japanese-Inspired Fine Art
Traditional Elegance Through a Contemporary Lens
Drawing inspiration from Japanese visual traditions, Bartley’s paintings explore the relationship between natural forms, decorative rhythm, negative space, and color.
Gold and silver backgrounds, stylized compositions, and familiar cultural motifs become elements of a contemporary visual language.
Rather than reproducing traditional Japanese painting, Bartley reinterprets the aesthetic principles that have long fascinated her through her own artistic perspective.
The resulting compositions combine elegance and restraint with vivid color, expressive movement, and an occasionally surreal graphic quality.
Carp Swimming — Signature Work
Carp Swimming (2022)
Acrylic painting
18 × 24inches
A signature painting featuring koi moving through a luminous golden space.
The flowing arrangement of the fish, contrasting colors, and expressive movement create a composition that is simultaneously decorative, dynamic, and contemplative.
The painting reflects Bartley’s interest in the relationship between natural movement, visual rhythm, and contemporary interpretations of Japanese aesthetics.
Original artwork — acquisition inquiries welcome.
Auspicious Art — Japanese Symbols of Good Fortune
In Japanese artistic traditions, certain natural forms and familiar motifs have long been associated with good fortune, prosperity, longevity, and personal achievement.
Known as kisshō (吉祥), these auspicious symbols carry cultural meanings that extend beyond their visual beauty.
Drawing inspiration from this tradition, Bartley reinterprets motifs such as ascending koi, Mount Fuji, and cranes through contemporary compositions, expressive color, and refined decorative elements.
Rather than promising good fortune, these paintings celebrate the human hopes and aspirations that such symbols have represented across generations.
They invite viewers to appreciate not only their visual elegance, but also the cultural stories and meanings they carry.
Ascending Carp Series
From left; Koi Swimming Upstream 1, Koi Swimming Upstream 2, Koi Jumping 1 (2022).
Acrylic painting
12 × 12 inches each
A series of original paintings exploring the dynamic movement of koi ascending waterfalls.
Through flowing compositions, contrasting metallic tones, and expressive forms, Bartley captures the energy, determination, and grace of koi swimming against powerful currents.
In Japanese tradition, koi ascending a waterfall symbolize perseverance, transformation, and the pursuit of achievement.
Each painting offers a distinct interpretation of this enduring motif, combining traditional Japanese symbolism with a contemporary graphic aesthetic.
Original artwork — acquisition inquiries welcome.
Mount Fuji — The Art of Red Fuji and Japanese Good Fortune
In Japanese art and culture, Akafuji (赤富士), or “Red Fuji,” refers to the striking appearance of Mount Fuji when its slopes take on a reddish glow in the morning sunlight, particularly during the warmer months.
This remarkable natural phenomenon has long inspired Japanese artists and is popularly associated with good fortune, prosperity, and new beginnings.
One of its most celebrated artistic interpretations is Katsushika Hokusai’s Fine Wind, Clear Morning, from his renowned series Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji.
For Bartley, painting Red Fuji is both an engagement with this cultural tradition and an opportunity for personal artistic interpretation.
As a contemporary Japanese woman artist, she brings her own sensitivity to color, atmosphere, composition, and the emotional qualities of this familiar subject.
Her interpretations of Mount Fuji explore contrasting moods through color, light, and atmosphere, balancing the mountain’s powerful symbolic presence with moments of quiet beauty.
Bartley has also had the honor of having one of her original Red Fuji paintings acquired by the late Shigeo Nagashima, the legendary Japanese baseball player and manager, who was known for his appreciation of Red Fuji artwork.
An Annual Tradition — Limited Original Red Fuji Paintings
Each year, around the New Year holiday season, Bartley creates a limited number of original, hand-painted Red Fuji artworks.
The scale and number of paintings vary from year to year. Some years feature a single large-scale painting, while others may include a small collection of approximately ten individual works.
This annual tradition reflects her appreciation for Red Fuji as a symbol of good fortune, renewal, and hope for the coming year.
Each painting is individually created by hand, making every piece a unique original rather than part of a reproduced edition.
Through these works, Bartley hopes to share not only the visual elegance of Mount Fuji, but also the enduring sense of hope, renewal, and aspiration that the mountain represents in Japanese culture.
Cranes & Japanese Symbolism
Cranes; Long Time Marriage (2022)
Acrylic painting
12 × 12 inches
Inspired by the elegance and symbolic significance of cranes in Japanese culture, this painting combines simplified natural forms, metallic backgrounds, and a carefully balanced composition.
Traditionally associated with longevity and good fortune, cranes have long appeared in Japanese painting and decorative arts.
Bartley’s interpretation brings this familiar motif into a contemporary visual setting, emphasizing grace, rhythm, and quiet elegance.
Original artwork — acquisition inquiries welcome.
Japanese Decorative & Seasonal Art
The decorative qualities of Japanese art offer another source of inspiration for Bartley’s paintings.
Through seasonal flowers, rhythmic arrangements, luminous backgrounds, and carefully considered negative space, these works explore the relationship between nature, ornamentation, and contemporary composition.
Irises in Gold
Acrylic painting
40 × 30 inches
Vivid blue irises emerge against a luminous golden background.
Through deliberate repetition, carefully balanced negative space, and the rhythmic arrangement of flowers and leaves, the composition explores the graphic qualities of Japanese decorative art.
The painting reflects Bartley’s interest in the expressive relationship between ornamentation, simplicity, and the beauty of natural forms.
Original artwork — acquisition inquiries welcome.
The Twelve Months — Japanese Seasonal Flowers
A collection of twelve original paintings celebrating the changing seasons through flowers and natural motifs associated with the Japanese calendar.
Each painting represents a different month, using decorative arrangements, color, and negative space to express the character of a particular season.
Together, the works form a visual exploration of the passage of time and the changing beauty of nature.
Original series — Private Collection, Japan.
New original commissions inspired by Japanese seasonal motifs may be discussed upon request.
Historical & Graphic Motifs
An interpretation of Japanese historical imagery through bold graphic composition, detailed ink work, and a restrained palette of red, black, and white.
The work reflects Bartley’s broader interest in the relationship between traditional motifs and contemporary visual storytelling.
Nature, Wildlife & Landscapes
Finding Beauty in the Natural World
Alongside her Japanese-inspired paintings, Bartley creates original watercolors inspired by birds, wildlife, coastal scenery, and the landscapes of the northeastern United States.
These works reflect her interest in observing the character of living subjects and the subtle beauty of natural environments.
Through delicate color relationships, atmospheric backgrounds, and carefully considered compositions, she seeks to capture moments of stillness, connection, and quiet beauty.
Birds & Wildlife
Northern Cardinal (2019)
A watercolor capturing the vivid red plumage and quiet presence of a cardinal against a softly suggested natural background.
— Private Collection, NJ.
Jersey Warblers (2019)
Two small birds share a branch against a softly blended green and blue background, creating a gentle and intimate composition.
American Goldfinch (2024)
A seasonal composition bringing together birds, delicate blossoms, and the soft colors of spring.
Great Blue Heron (2024)
A watercolor portrait emphasizing the bird’s graceful form, distinctive plumage, and quiet presence.
Coastal Landscapes
Cape May, New Jersey
A coastal watercolor capturing the warmth of the sky, movement of the waves, and atmosphere of the New Jersey shoreline.
Sandy Hook, New Jersey
A view of the New Jersey coast, where natural dunes, open water, and the distant urban skyline share the horizon.
Fine Art Pencil Portraits
Realistic Graphite Portraiture
Drawing has been an essential part of Kyoko Bartley’s artistic practice since childhood. Her graphite portraits reflect decades of experience in observing and rendering the human face with precision, sensitivity, and attention to individual character.
Through carefully controlled shading, subtle tonal transitions, and detailed pencil work, she captures facial expressions, textures, and the distinctive qualities of each subject.
Her portrait subjects have ranged from private individuals to well-known historical and cultural figures.
Many of her detailed graphite portraits are completed in approximately five hours, reflecting the technical fluency developed through years of artistic practice.
Original graphite portraits and custom portrait commissions are available upon inquiry.
Art Acquisition & Custom Commissions
Original Art for Distinctive Spaces
Kyoko Bartley welcomes inquiries from hotels, hospitality groups, corporate offices, art consultants, interior designers, and private collectors seeking original fine art.
Artwork may be selected from existing pieces or commissioned to complement a particular space, theme, or creative vision.
Original Artwork Acquisition
Selected original paintings may be available for direct purchase, subject to current availability.
Custom Commissioned Artwork
Original paintings can be created in consultation with clients, with consideration given to subject matter, composition, dimensions, color palette, and intended display environment.
Hospitality & Corporate Art Projects
Bartley welcomes opportunities to develop original artwork for hotels, corporate environments, and other professionally designed spaces.
Projects inspired by Japanese aesthetics, nature, wildlife, auspicious motifs, and regional landscapes are particularly welcome.
Art Consultants & Professional Buyers
Artwork specifications, pricing, availability, and commission proposals can be provided upon request.
Each original artwork or commissioned project is discussed individually according to its requirements, availability, and production schedule.
A Commitment to Original Fine Art
Bartley places particular value on the individuality and physical presence of original artwork.
With the exception of small items such as greeting cards and stationery, she generally does not produce reproductions of her fine art as posters, canvas prints, or other decorative print products.
Her fine art practice focuses on original, hand-created works, allowing each painting to retain its unique character, texture, and artistic presence.
Exhibitions, Awards & Press
Selected Professional Highlights
- Internationally award-winning visual artist
- More than 30 years of professional art commission experience
- Approximately 15 solo exhibitions between 2019 and 2026
- Approximately 10 group exhibitions and collaborative displays during the same period
- Former member of Princeton Makes artist cooperative for three years
- Solo exhibition at Monroe Township Library, New Jersey (2024)
- Exhibition at Franklin Township Public Library, Somerset, New Jersey (October–December 2026)
- Featured multiple times in local and regional media covering the Princeton area and surrounding communities
For additional information about the artist’s professional background, selected awards, exhibition history, and media coverage, please visit:
View Full Artist Biography & Professional Background
Inquiries & Collaborations
Let’s Discuss Your Art Project
Whether you are looking for an original painting for a hotel, a distinctive work for a corporate interior, or a custom piece inspired by a particular theme, Kyoko Bartley welcomes professional inquiries.
Please contact the artist to discuss artwork availability, commissions, pricing, dimensions, or potential collaborations.
Kyoko Bartley
Fine Artist & Visual Artist
Based in New Jersey, USA
Website: https://oekaki-princeton.com/
Original artwork may be viewed in person by appointment, subject to availability and scheduling.
All images and original artwork © Kyoko Bartley. All rights reserved.