Capture the eye... Engage the mind... and Stir the heart.

What is a memory and how does that fit into cultural memory? That is a question Denise has been exploring in regard to the natural world. Most people remember a place and time by color, form and smell. The emotional response forms the memory. The Sierra Mountains and Great Basin are unique environments and how we interact with them creates a very special feeling. Currently she is focused on developing her voice that presents the uniqueness of Sierra’s and Great Basin.  Her work is her memory and feeling about a place and time from years of seeing, sketching and painting the wonders of nature. Nature has a complex beauty and energy and it weaves a tapestry with threads of form, color and rhythm. She strives to find the pulse of the scene and create a visual poem which inspires others to pause and realize we are but one small thread in the Earth’s woven framework. 

Denise’s Process

Denise start with plein-air sketches and watercolour/gouache rough studies plus many reference photos of plants, rocks, animals and even clouds. Then in the studio she decides on the feeling she wants to present. That influences the color, light, and the season. After roughly sketching the large forms onto the canvas she begins to paint complex layers with color and shape and a unique mark-making language to express nature’s beauty. Some sections are many thin glazing layers to capture the color and mood that she would like. It is not a quick process, but the way the light travels through the layers of pigment captures radiance and depth.

Denise’s work is featured in collections in the US, Canada and Europe. Locally you can find her work at Mountain Arts Collective in Truckee, Ca and reproductions at the Nevada State Museum in Carson City.

My life so far...

Denise has always had a passion for the outdoors. She would hike and climb with her father in the Pacific Northwest and they would both carry their sketchbooks. Trees, rock formations, and animals were all part of their repertoire.  Her dad was a professor and so there was always a blend of sciences and the arts.

Early in her life she developed an interest in the intersection of culture and environment. She pursued Anthropology/Archeology. Through her years as an archaeologist, she spent more hours outside than in. All the time recording the world around her. 

Through the sciences, she became focused on scientific illustration and general illustration. The arts became the path she would follow. She taught workshops and consulted. She became a Visual Creative Director/Illustrator that managed and worked with international teams of creatives. The vast range of projects covered many topics and media. Over time she became focused on creating immersive experiences. Working with and engaging very talented teams of creatives reinforced her love of art and how cultures express the world. 

She traveled to many parts of the world with fellow artists seeking the road less traveled. She has always had a sketchbook in hand and spent many years painting and exhibiting watercolors and now oils. She also has experience with printmaking, clay, and jewelry. Her paintings are the expression of her adventures, past and present, and her passion for the world that surrounds us. When relaxing you can usually find her with her family and 4-footed companions hiking and enjoying the outside world.

Denise has artwork in collections in the United States, Canada and Europe. Locally you can find her work at Mountain Arts Collective in Truckee, Ca and reproductions at the Nevada State Museum in Carson City.