Fall 2024

132 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • F A L L 2 0 2 4 In “The Otter Time à la Dalí,” Matsumoto created an homage to Salvador Dalí’s 1931 painting “The Persistence of Memory,” replacing the focal point of Dalí’s work with a cuddly sea otter in her own piece. medical director at Harden, and he became Matsumoto’s mentor. With her new MFNP, PrimeCare in Salinas immediately hired her. During her years there, she became a specialist in diabetes care and education; in 2007, she brought her expertise to CHOMP. Back to Dr. Sadler: After two years of working together professionally, the two went out for Chinese food one evening, and Cupid served the for- tune cookies. When did Matsumoto’s art become ART? It was sud- den. At home one afternoon, Matsumoto unearthed a sketch of a historic building she’d sketched in Paris and was going to toss it. Sadler intercepted it: “Wait! That’s really terrific! You need to do something with your art!” Still practicing nursing full time, Matsumoto accepted the challenge.After a few classes at MPC, she applied and was accepted to the MFA program at the Academy of Art in San Francisco. One assignment yielded a disap- pointing C grade—a first for her. A painting of a drapery soon followed and—bingo!—there it was: an A.“Something clicked. I was so happy! Maybe I’m actually pretty good!” allowed Matsumoto. She titled her thesis “Lives in Our Hands,” a compilation of oil paintings of doctors and nurses at work.This became her first solo show; one por- trait, “Tough Decision,” revealed a burned-out Sadler in clinical garb. This was later tapped for the cover of a national medical magazine. Her MFA completed, Matsumoto rented studio space in Carmel, painting on her days off from CHOMP. It was fulfilling and a great bal- ance to her high-stress work. Her diverse portfolio gathered steam, enabling exhibits at var- ious juried shows. Her second Pacific Grove Art Center event was gut punched by Covid; undaunted, the resilient Matsumoto soon launched anoth- er exhibition and two fashion shows. By now, Matsumoto’s creativity was surging. She began a line of women’s wearable art. Calendars and note cards soon rolled off the presses, and her portrait collection was booming. Her “Goddesses and She had followed Mother Teresa’s inspiration for nearly 30 years, but now, all digits crossed, she made the emotional leap from medical profes- sional to professional artist.