Ayaka Prenton creates delicate mixed-media art with sewing and painting inspired by the flowers she grows in her garden. She began drawing as a young person. When her family moved she faced the challenge of a language barrier. Her drawing gave her comfort and brought smiles to people’s faces.
How did you find yourself on an artist’s path? Always there? Lightbulb moment? Dragged kicking and screaming? Evolving?
I grew up in a family that wasn’t particularly artistic, but I’ve always had a creative side since I was a child.
Living in the Japanese countryside, I was surrounded by the beauty of nature – mountains, rice fields, rivers, and the changing seasons. I loved playing with nature and using my imagination to create things. Even though my surroundings were peaceful, I was also fascinated by Japan’s vibrant pop culture.
When I wasn’t exploring outdoors, I filled my sketchbooks with drawings of anime characters and the fancy costumes worn by pop idols. I had a passion for drawing all things pretty and cute. On top of that, my crafty mom had a big influence on my love for working with my hands. She taught me how to sew from a young age, and I always had a sewing project in my mind.
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When my family moved to the US during my middle school years, I faced the challenge of a language barrier. It was tough, but I found comfort and success in my art classes. Until then, I never thought I was any better than the others, but it was incredible to finally feel confident in myself. I used my artistic skills to make friends, drawing when I couldn’t find the right words and using art to bring smiles to people’s faces.
Expressing myself through art became a survival skill, and even now, I find comfort in visually conveying my thoughts rather than relying on words.
I ended up studying fashion design in college, but fell in more love with the elective courses I took in arts. Fashion felt limiting and suffocating, though I completely loved every aspect of designing, from drawing to making patterns to constructing a garment. I chose not to pursuit a career in fashion, but instead started making art. Financially I could not last being an artist for long and I ended up landing on an office job. I drifted away from creating art.
Fast forward to my early thirties, as a stay-at-home mom raising my then two young children in Shanghai, I faced yet another language barrier. The demands of motherhood and feeling alone in the bustling city life had a big effect on my mental health. Then one day, almost on impulse, I picked up a paintbrush and started painting flowers. In that moment, I felt a rush of inspiration and excitement. Ever since that moment, I’ve been fully immersed in the world of art.
What do you do differently? What is your signature that makes your work stand out as yours?
I combine embroidery with watercolor painting. I love working with thread because of its textural element as well as its unique qualities. It’s both strong and intricate, and even though it appears fragile, it’s very permanent. I love how thread can be used as a line or even as a paint, allowing me to explore its versatility in my work.
I utilize machine stitching to add details to my watercolor art. While many machine embroiders use free-motion embroidery, I prefer using the simple straight stitches. The uniform stitch length has a precise and flawless appearance, which contrasts with the organic and imperfect nature of the subject (flowers). This contradiction is important to me as it reflects the idea of how humans perceive perfection and beauty in nature versus what nature truly is. Occasionally, I infuse hand embroidery into my pieces which I like to call as “thread painting”. Each stitch serves as a mark, similar to a brushstroke, and this adds an extra layer of texture, dimension and depth to my work.
Where do you find your inspiration for your designs?
I find my inspiration in my experiences with nature, particularly in growing flowers.
A few years ago as I gained more experience as an artist, I yearend for authenticity in my art. This desire led me down the path of learning to garden in order to have special blooms for references. Dahlias were the first flowers I nurtured, and ever since then, my collection has flourished. I use these flowers as my muse, studying their proportions, structures, intricate details, and subtle nuances. Witnessing the journey of seeds sprouting into delicate seedlings, then blooming into beautiful flowers, and eventually fading away to return to the earth, is a process that never fails to fascinate me. The transient essence of nature continues to fuel my creativity, and I strive to capture this quality in my work.
What do you do to keep yourself motivated and interested in your work?
My work is closely tied to the flowers I grow, so I dedicate the same amount of energy and passion to cultivating flowers as I do to creating artwork. Gardening is a year-round activity that heavily relies on the weather, so my art is also influenced by the changing seasons.
When early spring approaches, I begin planning and preparing my garden. Once the growing season kicks off, my garden transforms into a colorful and inspiring oasis. As autumn comes and the sign of frost approaches, the cool air and golden glow of nature fill me with both joy and a touch of sadness, as they signal the end of the growing season.
I meticulously document every step of this process, keeping journals and capturing photographs. Although I create art throughout the year, I focus more on it during the winter months, using my documentation as a source of inspiration and reminiscing the joy that flowers have brought me.
I grow flowers not only as artistic references but also for my peace of mind. Sometimes, in the midst of creating, I have to pause and walk outside. Being able to go out to the garden, simply being there in the quiet and think, is pretty important in my creative process. As the saying goes, “Into the garden I go to lose my mind and find my soul.” I feel connected to nature in a way I never experienced before, and I really think it reflects in my work.
What different creative media do you use in your work?
In the past few years, I’ve incorporated tulle as the foundation of my work, and it has made a significant difference. Tearing away pieces of stabilizer that are stitched to the tulle creates a magical effect as light passes through the areas without paper, casting shadows in the background. It’s truly enchanting. The tulle brought a sense of lightness, making the flowers appear as if they are suspended in the air. The end result, in my opinion, is incredibly captivating and hauntingly beautiful.
Can you tell us about the inspiration and process of one of your works? How does a new work come about?
I created this piece last autumn inspired by an aster flower I grew in the summer. The variety is called Tower Chamois China Aster. I was not familiar with this flower, but I fell in love with the way this flower looked like a chrysanthemum, and I decided to plant and see how it turns out. Although the plant itself turned out to be smaller than I had imagined, it produced delicate and magnificent flowers. Once all the blooms had blossomed, I carefully took a cutting and brought it indoors to capture its essence through photography and sketching.
My creative process begins with sketching. I like to sketch on a larger scale so that I can capture all the tiny details and subtle nuances. After I have my sketch, I create a draft onto a stabilizer and pin it to tulle. Then, using a sewing machine, I stitch along the drafted lines. This process demands a lot of focus and can be quite tedious, but the end result is always worth it because it feels like my flower is starting to bloom. The process is similar to tending to a garden.
Once the stitching is complete, I breathe life into the piece by adding colors with watercolor. This is when I feel like the flower is at its most prime moment.
However, my process does not end here, just like real flowers don’t end their lives at their peak beauty. I then start tearing away the stabilizer, getting rid of any any unnecessary parts and evolving the flower into its next phase. This is where the magic happens – a perfectly stitched botanical drawing transforms into a rugged and imperfect flower, almost as if it has aged, caught diseases, or been nibbled on by bugs. This transformation is what I find most gratifying because it symbolizes the fleeting beauty of nature in its truest form.
Is there an overarching theme that connects all of your work?
My art explores the intricate relationship between human perception of beauty and the authentic essence of the natural world. I aim to evoke a sense of wonder and admiration for the natural world through my art. Through the appreciation of nature’s aesthetics, my goal is to inspire people to immerse themselves in it and cultivate a desire to conserve and protect it.
How is your work different than it was in the beginning? How is it the same?
Earlier in my creative journey, I was constantly experimenting, trying out new materials and techniques. It was exciting to bring new ideas to life and share them with the world via social media. As time went on, I gained more experiences, and now I am beginning to simplify, removing unnecessary elements, and focusing on being true to myself while doing what truly makes me happy.
My love for sewing, painting, and flowers continues to be the foundation of my work, but they are more refined. I aim to continue elevating my techniques further, and approach every aspect of my art with intention and authenticity. It really feels like the beginning of an exciting new chapter!
Where can people see your work?
My work can be seen on my website and social media.
Browse through more inspiring mixed media art and artists on Create Whimsy.