Growing up in Osaka, Japan, Kayomi began drawing at an early age. Her favorite subject to draw was - and still is - cats, both wild and domestic. Eventually Kayomi decided to pursue a career as an artist, and she worked as commercial illustrator and a free-lance animal portrait artist in Japan before moving to California in 1991. In the United States, her talent and renown continued to flourish.

When painting her animal portraits, Kayomi always starts with the eyes, which she believes is the most attractive feature on any animal. Kayomi often includes two or three animals in her paintings, which allows her to show interactions, motions, and behaviors. He hopes that the life story of each animal is captured in her paintings.