Denise was born in Port Elizabeth in the 60’s when children still played barefoot in the streets and the Rolling Stones were making waves. She was privileged to be raised by adventurous parents who exposed the family to art and culture from a young age. They traveled a lot, went camping, swam in rivers, climbed mountains, rode horses, and attended art exhibitions. Together with this and the small farm she grew up on, were largely the inspiration to her creativity. Her Mother encouraged her to attend art classes from the age of 9 where she discovered her flair for colour and design, this lead her to win her first National Art Competition. It was already clear that she was born to be an artist. Denise draws inspiration from the magnificence of God's creation, the diversity of colours, textures, smells, sounds, life forms. "Look around you; the list is endless." quotes Denise. Top of her list would be colour and combinations thereof. This is her passion, Hence her daughter Liza, named her “Queen of Colour”. And that she is! Denise works intuitively adding layer upon layer of colour and texture without an end picture in mind. She simply begins and then allows the painting to lead her step by step until it feels complete.
Denise quotes: "I love the freedom of abstract. No boundaries; no limits, like chasing the wind. My gut leads the way; I feel the answers. My singular goal is to paint happiness for your walls, making magic where I can. The more you practice the luckier you get! I think in colour; and make beauty where I go. That is how I live.”
