Denise DeKemper
Silk painting
The first silk painting I saw was at the New Mexico State Fair in 2000. A few months later, I was able to attend a full day workshop to learn the basic techniques of the process and really, that was “that”. I fell in love. A couple of years after that workshop I began selling my work on the Great Plains, then the Pacific Northwest. I now live in the southwestern US. I’m living in a beautiful place now, and still the beauty and diversity of the Oregon coast will always hold a place in my heart.
I love the outdoors and my natural surroundings have always been a great influence in my work. I find that the natural beauty and diversity of both the pacific coast and desert are a constant inspiration.
Mostly self-taught, I have always loved drawing and painting. My love for textiles and fashion had me dying t -shirts in the bathtub with my sisters at an early age and drawing costumes and formal dresses that my mother brought to life with her sewing machine as I grew up. During college and after, I worked in advertising and as a visual merchandiser for a retail chain.
The intensity of color and the movement of dyes as they are applied to silk is magical to me. My biggest wish is that whoever ends up with my work – whether it’s wearable art or a framed piece – experiences at least part of the joy in the owning that I have in the making of my work.
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