Denise Dean 2016-11-20T01:35:10+00:00
  • Denise Dean

Denise Dean

Denise Dean is an artist, graphic designer and illustrator. Renowned for her wonderfully decorative and colourful children’s book illustrations and watercolours, she is also highly regarded for her work in the graphic design industry. With over 20 years experience as a freelance designer and working in some of the best design and advertising agencies in Australia, she now focuses on her real love – painting. Denise excels at capturing the natural world, cultures, people, animals and landscapes have all been subject matter, however Australian flora and fauna is her passion and preferred subject. Denise works from her spectacular bushland property on the outskirts of Sydney, she exhibits regularly at galleries and artist showcases in and around Sydney

Gallery/Other Contacts:

Website http://www.denisedeanartist.com/

Phone 0408 387 089

Some of My Work is Featured Below.

Denise Dean, painter

Denise Dean, painter

Denise Dean, painter

Denise Dean, painter

Denise Dean, painter

Denise Dean, painter

Denise Dean, painter

Denise Dean, painter

Denise Dean, painter

Denise Dean, painter

Denise Dean, painter

Denise Dean, painter

Denise Dean, painter

Denise Dean, painter

Denise Dean, painter

Denise Dean, painter

Denise Dean, painter

Denise Dean, painter

Denise Dean, painter

Denise Dean, painter

Denise Dean, painter

Denise Dean, painter

Denise Dean, painter

Denise Dean, painter

Denise Dean

As long as I can remember I had a pencil in my hand, as a child I drew on any piece of paper I could get my hands on. At school I loved art class, I had a wonderfully inspiring art teacher that made me feel like it could be possible to one-day make a living creating my art. So it was official, I had made up my mind I wanted to become an artist when I grow up.
After leaving high school and was accepted into a number of fine art courses at university but instead I chose the Graphic Design course at Randwick Technical College, my theory was I could make a better living (more money) from art in advertising than in fine art. Back then at 20 years of age the lure to be employed and making my own money to buy a car and clothes and art supplies was a big draw card for me then.
That time at tech were simply amazingly exciting for me, the teachers showed me the tricks of the trade and how to improve my skills and knowledge of tools and mediums.
For the next 15 years I worked in advertising for different studios around Sydney, mainly in marketing and promotions, starting from the bottom and working my way up through the ranks to art director.
I left my career in advertising back in the 1990’s and started thinking I wanted to create artwork for myself now. I’ve dabbled in lots of different areas of art, sculpture, print making, stain glass, film making, life drawing, oil and acrylic painting and have settled on water colours. I became interested in this medium as it works well for my style of illustration like painting.

Some of my highlights

My inspiration

As I live on acreage in the beautiful suburb of Galston I am lucky to be able to sit in my studio and look out the window at what seems like endless number of inspiring subjects to paint. The majority of my paintings have been of Australian fauna and flora. In particular I’m interested in painting wildlife juxtaposed with man-made objects and the effects of time. Such as a kookaburra sitting on an old wooden garden shovel or an abandoned weathered lighthouse. I’m attracted to paint objects that have been beaten about by the passing of time such as the old falling over wooden fence or the broken imperfect sea shell or gum leaf.

I absolutely love creating a painting and watching it grow and come to life before me as I touch paint to paper. It’s also in a way, wonderful when I am challenged with a painting that is proving difficult for me to save it from ending up in the bin and I have to push myself a bit further than just relying on my draftsman ship to get me through, each painting is another lesson learnt in some way.

My style

Slowly I have found my way into what today I would call “my style”, I can’t seem to shake off the lessons learnt in my advertising days and so my works have a lot of detail and control of the medium with less free form work except when I pluck up my courage to tackle a sky now and then.

Exhibitions

Over the years I have exhibited in various art shows around Sydney including the Mosman Art Prize, Bentart Art Prize and now I am lucky enough to be included in The Arcadian Artists exhibition.

Meet with Denise Dean at the NEXT EXHIBITION & ART TRAIL: 11 - 12 NOV 2017

A unique exhibition... Eight working studios... More than fifty Artists & Artisans... All on a meandering country drive...

Throughout the years the Arcadian Artists have endeavoured to support & provide an avenue for both experienced and emerging artists from inside & outside the community to showcase their creative talents.