Member Biography

ARTIST STATEMENT

"I believe it’s important to have our voices heard and to share our hearts and souls with others using our artistic expression.”

Originally from New Brunswick, Canada, Denise found her inspiration as an artist at an early age, discovering the gift of seeing the ordinary as extraordinary. Weaving storytelling with patterning and mixed media, she allows visual textures and colors from her surroundings to be her muse. She explores relationships and childhood memories which frequently spur her into inspirational works that virtually come alive!

Denise paints without restraint and her passion for artistic expression boils over into her teaching where she encourages students to explore and trust their creative voice, finding dominant themes of healing and freedom of expression.

Denise received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Nova Scotia College of Art & Design in Halifax and a Master of Art Education from Texas Tech University, with an emphasis on teacher as artist. She is an active member in the Women Painters of Washington in Seattle and the Federation of Canadian Artists in Granville Island, Vancouver, British Columbia. She currently shares living in the Pacific Northwest and the Maritime Province of New Brunswick, Canada with her husband Brian.

Denise continues the creation of new art and loves teaching, traveling and collaborating with fellow artists.

Education 

• MAE- Master of Art Education- Texas Tech University ‘11- Lubbock, Texas
• BFA- Nova Scotia College of Art & Design ’83- Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Gallery Representation

• Directors Gallery- Bainbridge Island, WA  2008- 2013
• Sidney Art Gallery- Port Orchard, WA 2005- present
• Women Painters of WA Gallery- Columbia Center, Seattle, WA 2005- present

Professional Memberships & Publications

• Northlight Books, Incite 4: The Best of Mixed Media 2016
• Texas Tech MAE Junction Program, Kendall Hunt Publishers 2016
• Federation of Canadian Artists- Active 2006 to present
• Women Painters of Washington- Active/ WPW Gallery committee-2005 to present

Awards

• Betty Jo Fitzgerald Award 2015- juror Anne Schreivogl- Scott Milo Gallery, Anacortes, WA
• Honorable Mention CVG 2013 Collective Visions Gallery, Seattle, WA -juror Alfredo Arreguin
• Best in Show, WPW Member Show 2010- juror Barbara Shaiman- Seattle Art Museum Gallery

Juror & Teaching Experience

• 41st Helen Norris Open Show- Sydney Gallery, Port Orchard, WA-Guest Juror- May 2011
• Northwest Nazarene University-Concurrent Credit intro to drawing & painting 2011-Present
• Crosspoint High School- HS Art Teacher- all disciplines 2006-Present

Featured Artist Shows

• The Sidney Art Gallery- Port Orchard, WA, 2003, 2005, 2013 & 2016
• Pegasus Coffee House- Bainbridge Island, WA- July 2008
• Bon Macy’s Gallery- Downtown Seattle, WA- Nov. 2007
• Glitz, the Gallery - Bremerton, WA -October 2002

Juried & Group Exhibitions

• Ars Poetica  -Bremerton, WA, Matching poetry & paintings 2016
• Argyle Fine Arts Gallery- Preshrunk Show, Halifax, Nova Scotia 2016
• WPW “Women’s Work” exhibit. Community Education Gallery, Bellevue Arts Museum Jan. 2016
• Collective Visions Gallery- CVG State Juried Show, Bremerton, WA- Feb. 2011, 2013, 2016
• Women Painters of WA Gallery- Member Show- Columbia Center, Seattle, WA- 2006, ’07, ‘08 ’10, ’12, ’14, ’15, ‘16
• The Sidney Art Gallery- Port Orchard, WA May 2015
• Scott Milo Gallery- Anacortes, WA- Juried show- June & July 2015
• Upstream People Gallery- Online Juried Faces Exhibit- special recognition for Epoch 2014
• WPW A Traveling Exhibition- Schack Art Center, WPW Gallery, Childhood’s End Gallery, Northwind Arts Center & Clymer Museum- Nov 2012-Oct. 2013
• Art Institute of Seattle- What Those Who Teach Can Do Show- Seattle, WA- April 2012
• Federation of Canadian Artists- Autumn Salon-Juried Exhibit-Granville Isl. B.C.- Sept. 2011
• Gig Harbor Civic Center- Peninsula Art League Juried Show- Tacoma, WA Nov. ‘10
• Parklane Gallery- Contemporary Art, Juried Show- Kirkland, WA- Jan. 2010
• Edmonds Center for the Arts- Art of Our Mother’s Show- Edmonds, WA- May. 2009
• Kaewyn Gallery- WPW Juried Show- Bothell, WA-May 2008
• Federation of Canadian Artists- Canvas Unbound, Juried Exhibit-Granville Isl. B.C.- May 2007
• Kirsten Gallery- WPW Group Exhibit- Seattle, WA- Oct. 2006
• Edmonds Arts Festival- Juried Exhibit- Edmonds, WA- June 2006
• The Bronze Works Gallery- Juried Exhibit-Tacoma, WA- May/June 2006
• Dimensions Gallery- WPW Group Exhibit- Bellevue, WA- Oct. 2005
• Bainbridge Island Art Walk -Juried Art Exhibit-BI, WA-July 2003 & 2004

Museums & Collections

• Olympic Resource Management Office- Main Lobby- Poulsbo, WA. Nov. 2005
• The Port Gamble Museum- Permanent collection, Port Gamble, WA- June 2005

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