In a sense, fine art had to knock twice before Denise opened the door. She had always loved art, but as a young woman chose the practical over the creative, spurning art school for a finance degree. But art kept tugging at her, and most of the “jobs” she held over the years had a decidedly creative bent to them—first as a graphic designer with clients throughout California and later as a decorator andowner/operator of two furniture stores. None, however, satisfied her completely. So, in the summer of 2006, she closed her furniture boutique and started painting full time realizing that was what had been missing for so long. With no formal training in painting she took a workshop in plein air painting, which both embraces the beauty of the natural world and allows her to work outdoors. This new life became aperfect fit for someone who enjoys the adventure of traveling throughout the West looking for the next great painting spot. Artist Statement: Accidentally stumbling into plein air painting turned out to be no accident at all. I am so thankful to have found this lifestyle whether I find myself along a river or in my studio reliving my time outside. I believethat if I feel a connection to my surroundings or subject, that connection will come through in thepainting and the viewer will be able to share the moment My paintings are done using a limited palette, mixing most of the colors to keep some harmony. In an effort to have clean color and not get caught up in detail I started creating all my paintings using apalette knife, this happened several years ago and I never have gone back to the brush. I enjoy the impressionistic approach, slathering the paint on and using the landscape as a reference, not trying to copy it exactly. My favorite paintings are ones that I have done on location where I feel the emotion of the place. I strive to keep the freshness of the plein air approach in all of my paintings. I hope viewersfeel the place and energy when they look at my paintings.