Mitch “Mish” Akamai Meyer

Art by Akamai (my website)

I grew up among the cows and hills of Livermore and loved making art from a young age. Today I continue to explore art through photography, painting, and music. I’ve always had a curious and restless nature, so I tend to experiment; I rarely settle on any one style for too long and try to approach each project with an open mind. I like to leave some parts unplanned, open to improvisation and even mistakes, which, to me, makes the art more exciting and organic.

I was employed with the Bothwell Arts Center for several years and am currently pursuing my bachelor’s degree while tending to my artistic endeavors on the side.

Drawing & Painting

I’ve loved drawing from as far back as I can remember—as a four-year-old obsessed with Blues Clues, I would make my own “Handy Dandy Notebook” and draw the clues along with Steve. My favorite medium to work with is sumi ink; I love the fluidity of the ink and the expressiveness you can achieve from a bamboo brush. I also like to use acrylics, charcoal, and pastels, among other things. I find inspiration in nature, especially the shapes and textures of rocks, water, wood, etc. and the mood of certain environments.

Photography

During the pandemic I got my first “real” film camera, a Minolta SRT101, and have been exclusively shooting manual film cameras since. I like the limitations: only a certain amount of shots per roll, not knowing how an image turned out until it’s developed, no automatic settings. I like the quirks of each film stock and the clunk of the shutter. Film will do unpredictable things, sometimes elevating the image in ways I couldn’t have purposefully done, sometimes ruining the shot. It’s imperfect, but it makes things more exciting.

A large portion of my photographs are taken in or around the Livermore area. I’m inspired to photograph the character and beauty of Livermore, especially that which is endangered; many things I’ve photographed over the last several years are gone or irreparably changed, be it from natural forces or human development. For instance, the 2022 floods uprooted my favorite tree in Sycamore Grove (RIP Squiggly Tree). Right now a major concern for me is the “Garaventa Hills Project” which will bulldoze a unique gem of Livermore’s natural beauty for just a handful of luxury houses. I’m driven to capture what we have now before it’s lost for good.