ABOUT THE ARTIST
Denise Kanter Allen was raised in Pearisburg, Virginia, 20 minutes west of Virginia Tech. Denise finished her final semester at James Madison University in May 2008, and graduated with a BFA in Studio Art, concentration in painting and drawing. During her four years at JMU, she dedicated part of her time as Vice President of her art fraternity, Kappa Pi, volunteering and organizing several of the fraternity's community service events, like Very Special Arts which is a festival for special education students in the surrounding community, in addition to being a member of the community service group, Sigma Alpha Lambda.
She favors acrylic paints for her portrait-making but continues to explore all types of media, as well as collaborate with other artists. Denise is co-founder of Art Lotto portrait show, co-founder of Artery collaborative troupe, volunteer and supporter of the downtown local arts scene and events. Denise enjoys participating in downtown Harrisonburg's First Fridays art exhibitions and working for Friendly City Food Cooperative.
She favors acrylic paints for her portrait-making but continues to explore all types of media, as well as collaborate with other artists. Denise is co-founder of Art Lotto portrait show, co-founder of Artery collaborative troupe, volunteer and supporter of the downtown local arts scene and events. Denise enjoys participating in downtown Harrisonburg's First Fridays art exhibitions and working for Friendly City Food Cooperative.
ARTIST STATEMENT
There is a story behind each painting which stems from the idea that a piece of the artist is revealed in some way. Whether it turns out to be a mood, a feeling, or personality, it is still a part of the artist that the viewer takes with them. There is usually no explicit theme to my paintings, mainly just impressions of my life, but there are some gaps where you can dwell in the moments of space and color, waiting for the rest of the painting to reveal itself and create a story of your own. If anything, the story is how I approach life: Learn as I go, experiment, explore, make mistakes, laugh, cry and keep moving on.
This process of experimentation and expression can especially be seen in several of my paintings, through colors, size, and brushstrokes in particular. I enjoy experimenting with the viscosity of the paint by adding water which will cause the paint to run down the canvas. This allows the paint a freer range of expression versus a forced movement with a paintbrush. I often develop these fluid moments into layers to create another exciting visual element. I have also used a toothbrush to find a different texture and intensity to the strokes. Often times, even the exchange of a painting tool can create a new challenge or aesthetic.
I love to paint the human figure. I like to take a photograph of the same person and paint them several times, but each time I will capture a different moment or personality. The human body is also the most challenging for me, and this challenge intrigues me and encourages me to repaint it over and over again. But I also take a necessary break from the figure just to concentrate on shape and line to see what can happen on the canvas without a visual foundation. My recent challenge is to combine the figure and the loose abstract feel together in one painting. The results surprise me every time. I love that about painting.
But each time I finish a painting, there is a little piece of me captured and placed in front of an audience. These are my paintings; painted pieces of self; moments of my life made into a piece of art.
This process of experimentation and expression can especially be seen in several of my paintings, through colors, size, and brushstrokes in particular. I enjoy experimenting with the viscosity of the paint by adding water which will cause the paint to run down the canvas. This allows the paint a freer range of expression versus a forced movement with a paintbrush. I often develop these fluid moments into layers to create another exciting visual element. I have also used a toothbrush to find a different texture and intensity to the strokes. Often times, even the exchange of a painting tool can create a new challenge or aesthetic.
I love to paint the human figure. I like to take a photograph of the same person and paint them several times, but each time I will capture a different moment or personality. The human body is also the most challenging for me, and this challenge intrigues me and encourages me to repaint it over and over again. But I also take a necessary break from the figure just to concentrate on shape and line to see what can happen on the canvas without a visual foundation. My recent challenge is to combine the figure and the loose abstract feel together in one painting. The results surprise me every time. I love that about painting.
But each time I finish a painting, there is a little piece of me captured and placed in front of an audience. These are my paintings; painted pieces of self; moments of my life made into a piece of art.
