Statement
A native of Ontario, Canada, I grew up fascinated by the lakes I would canoe with my father. I was contented to explore the wide open meadows and paths through the forest by myself. This experience of the outdoors taught me to have an appreciation for personal freedom and has held a lasting influence of appreciation for Nature’s imagery.
My landscape paintings aim to re-create the dreams of human beings as well as reveal the sacred character of nature. I feel connected, as many do, to the magic display of color, form and movement such as we observe in the sky and the movement of waters. If I have words for my instinctive belief in the Divine it is because of these impressions I receive from the variety of living forms of the earth.
If I have any power of dreaming or imagining, it is activated by a sense of transcendence standing before the complex beauty of a landscape. I hope everyone can share those dreams through my paintings.
My first impression is created in the tradition of Plein Air painting, by making sketches focused on capturing the strongest elements of value and shapes. I enjoy studying the character of specific trees, rocks and reflections for detail, while I construct a layered design.
In a world culture aiming for the fastest way to produce toxic waste & disposable, commercial “goods”, I aim to create for you a moment in time where the poetry and serenity of sky, land or water hold the highest value.
Denise’s Art Exhibit & Show Information
SOLO EXHIBITS
- Water: Art & Ecology, Jean Vollum Natural Capital Center, Portland, Oregon
- Mountain Views & Riverscapes, Timberline Lodge Gallery, Timberline, Oregon
- Portland Open Studios, Juried by: Portland Art Museum Curator Nicole Gibbs
- Urban Art Network, First Thursday Artwalk Collective, Pearl District, Oregon
- Caswell Art Gallery, Portland, Oregon
JURIED GROUP SHOWS
- Natural Selections, Mt. Hood Community College Library
Curated by: Lori Lorion, MHCC Professor of Painting, Gresham, Oregon - Lake Oswego Foundation for the Arts, Art in the Plaza Invitational, Lake Oswego, Oregon
- Tribe Theatre & Gallery, Human Faces of War Project, Portland, Oregon
- Works of Faith, National Invitational Art Exhibit
Curated by Julie Poncet, Portland Art Museum, Portland, Oregon - Coos Art Museum Biennial, Curated by: M.J. Koreiva, Exec. Director, North Bend, Oregon
- Metaphors & Icons, Lakewood Center for the Arts, Lake Oswego, Oregon
