Long before formal training, children’s books and films taught me how images communicate emotion. Attending classes at The Art Institute of Chicago from age twelve ignited my fascination with art history and a love for figurative painting.
Today, the human form remains an enduring muse. The figures and animals in my paintings greet the viewer like familiar friends—standing as symbols of warmth, empathy, and everyday love.
A selection of original artwork, giclée prints and ceramic tiles are displayed below. Please select an artwork to view further information about the piece.
Fairy tales sometimes tell the truth about going into the woods.
Charcoal drawing. 27" x 19" / 70 x 50cm
2023
Planting a small tree is an act of faith.
Oil on canvas. 36" x 50" / 91 x 127cm
2023
The shell remembers where it used to live.
Oil on canvas. 27" x 21" / 70 x 55cm
2023
With a little imagination, we can see the ourselves in flowers.
Pastel drawing. 27" x 19" / 70 x 50cm
2023
Our intuition tells us when it is time to move on. Courage is required.
Oil on canvas. 24" x 18" / 61 x 46cm
2023
Babies gradually learn about their own powers. They begin to sense their own being.
Charcoal drawing. 27" x 19" / 70 x 50cm
2023
Every person has the power to create his or her own life story. The subconscious vision writes the word that becomes the experience.
Oil on canvas reproduced on ceramic tile 8” X 8” & 12" x 12"
2012
Looking at things from a higher perspective mentally sometimes opens us to spiritual insights.
Oil on board reproduced on ceramic tile 8” X 10”
2016
Some people flower late in life or in secret. It doesn’t matter.
Oil on canvas reproduced on ceramic tile 8” X 8” & 12" x 12"
1998
When children learn to love animals a life-long understanding is created.
Oil on board reproduced on ceramic tile 8” X 10”
2012
There is a difference between allowing life to be lived through rather than by you.
Oil on canvas reproduced on ceramic tile 8” X 8” & 12" x 12"
2009
The best way to conquer our fears is to face them.
Oil on canvas reproduced on ceramic tile 8” X 8” & 12" x 12"
2006
Like the legendary phoenix, a child’s spirit rises again and again if it is allowed to be free.
Oil on canvas reproduced on ceramic tile 8” X 10”
2005
Home is a concept before it is a physical space. It is our place where we belong and where we can be ourselves.
Oil on canvas. 40" x 30" / 102 x 76cm
2019
The life force is witnessed every spring when flowering bulbs push gloriously through the soil and nature’s fertility abounds.
Oil on canvas. 30" x 20" / 76 x 51cm
2019
With an open and receptive heart, one never knows who will come calling.
Oil on board. 20" x 16" / 51 x 41cm
2019
The power of the imagination reveals vast realms that tell us stories about ourselves.
Oil on board. 20" x 16" / 51 X 41cm
2019
Creativity in appearance makes everyone an artist in their own right.
Charcoal/pastel drawing. 27" x 20" / 51 x 68cm
2018
Life can feel like a pendulum of highs and lows. enjoy the ride if you can.
Oil on canvas. 30" x 30" / 76 x 76cm
2017
The golden thread is the invisible strand that connects one’s spirit to one’s body.
Oil on canvas. 28" x 30" / 71 x 76cm
2017
“The figures in Yamamoto’s imaginative paintings recall those that appear in dreams – sculptural, weighted down to the earth and imbued with a psychological and spiritual identity based on human experience.”
“Her remarkable instinct and insight are individually bolstered by a sure sense of aesthetic balance and formulation.”
“Her archetypical images invite the viewer to participate in the creation of a narrative of her work.”
“Yamamoto enters the realm of fantasy and imagination every time she approaches a canvas. Her figures are allegories explaining man and his relationship to the cosmos.”
I will respect your privacy.
Without love, we are lost.
Oil on canvas. 20" x 16" / 50 x 40cm
2023