June 11 – September 14, 2021
Denise makes contemporary art quilt portraits of very non-contemporary structures: megalithic Celtic stones and monoliths (think Stonehenge), and more recent (but still centuries old) monastic ruins. These relics – stone circles, standing stones, dolmens, burial tombs, abandoned churches, and lost-in-history portals and passageways – embody both immense timelessness and physical presence while evoking soulful and emotional remembrances of human pasts largely forgotten.
Denise’s art quilts are known for their moody realism, and her unique and deeply personal style: assertive quilt top (and stone) textures, color, lighting, shadowing and perspective, and craftsmanship and technique precision.
of Stromness on the Mainland, the largest island in Orkney, Scotland.
Denise’s quilts often evoke strong feelings and emotions. It’s as if the stones jostle some deep core of cellular memories not otherwise approachable.
Denise hand paints all her fabric – cottons, cotton-silk and cotton-linen blends, and/or silk organza – after which she then individually cuts out each stone. Working the same way as a stone mason building a wall or structure (working from the ground up, one stone at a time), these fabric stones are then – depending on the composition – reversed, turned edge, and/or raw edge appliquéd, or inset. Landscapes are typically free-form strip pieced incorporating both her hand-painted fabric as well as couched threads, metallics, and yarns, whereas skies may be either strip pieced or hand painted as single large panels. Tops are heavily machine stitched.
