Denise Cormier Mahoney

Eugene Delacroix once said something true to my way of work.

 

“What inspires their work is not new ideas, but their obsession with the idea that what has already been said is still not enough.”

 

As a narrative artist, I explore the significance of story and how it relates to others as a way of embracing shared experiences and human interactions. I am a modern mixed media folk art painter and printmaker exploring memories, walks in the forest and human nature, all things that stir my imagination to create content. Since childhood, trees have been a very important element for grounding. From climbing and hiding in them as a child to embracing their beauty, strength and spiritual nature, the tree features prominently in my art as allegory and identity.

 

Influenced by my catholic upbringing including Gothic Revival architecture, I am naturally fascinated by Medieval Illuminations, Art Nouveau and Post Impressionism whose inspirations are seen in much of my work. Using diverse materials like gold leaf, fabric and paper collages, I fuse patterns and textures that focus on themes that unite rather than divide. My desire is to connect with others through shared stories and restore harmony and beauty into a world that is becoming increasingly polarized and cynical.

 

My current project focuses on recapturing memories and influences from my childhood in a series of drawings, linocut prints and paintings that are the foundation of my Acadian heritage. The solo show will be called “All My Changes Were There,” lyrics by Neil Young, an iconic musician during my formative years. It will explore stories shared by villagers my age, reconnecting me to my Acadian community after a 35 year absence.

​