Mike Ishikawa is an Architect by profession.  During his vacations, he sketched with his pen and ink. Filling many sketch books with interesting places he visited with his wife Miki, the sketches, becoming a postcard of  his travels.  In 2021 he published a 187 page book of his travel sketches.  Semi-retirement allowed some time to think about a new interest, which led to pastel painting in early 2009.   He loves using pastels, the vibrant colors are unlimited, being a skier, hiker, traveler and fisherman, painting the outdoor landscape has been one of his passions.

He uses bold bright colors, strong strokes, shades, shadows, and varied textures to create an image that is similar to the actual image, but with more interest and a “painterly” (non-photographic) quality to the painting.  He paints as a hobby and his favorite subjects are seascapes, old fishing boats, mountains, deserts and images of old towns and villages. One of his favorite ways to paint is “plien-air”.  He is a member of the Southern California Pastel Society, Laguna Plein Air Painters, Pastel Society of the West Coast, Pacific Art Guild of Palos Verdes and The International Associating of Pastel Artists, where he is a Master Circle member.  

In 2017, Mike’s painting of a “Farmhouse in the Owen Valley” was selected by the Pastel Journal, as 100 of the best pastel paintings, out of 2700 national submittals. In March of 2023 one of his koi paintings was selected at one of the top 100 paintings in the Plien Air Magazine, out of1096 submittals. He has won awards at several other art exhibitions, including Rejoice in Art, Palos Verdes Art Center,  U-Art National Pastel Competition,  This year is will receive his Master Circle designation at the International Association Pastel Society.  He is a signature member of the Pastel Society of the West Coast.  At this years PSSC members show his paintings won first place and The best of show awa

 He has  participated in the Carmel Plien Air Invitational festival in 2024 and 2025.

 His Pen and ink sketch took 1st place in the mixed media and his pastel painting took first place  in the 2018 Plein Air Festival of Los Angeles,  It was a 3 day plien air event.  He has painted several times with LAPA at Heisler Park, and participated in a Plien Air event at the Sherman Gardens in Newport Beach.