November - December 2024: Denise Byrnes Graham
Denise Byrnes Graham
A New Day
Artist's Statement
“One can make a day of any size and regulate the rising and setting of his own sun and the brightness of its shining.” John Muir
I love this quote by the naturalist John Muir because it reminds me of how fortunate I am to be an artist. Every day is a new day to channel what I am experiencing on to paper or canvas. Fiery sunsets, the calm of an overcast day, gorgeous clouds… it brings me joy to witness such splendor.
The beauty of the natural world is my inspiration to paint. I find the changing seasons of New England magical with their beautiful light, color and texture. The fields, woods, rivers and coastline are sacred places to wonder and paint.
My work is varied in approach and process. I paint in different mediums: pastel, oil, and acrylic. When painting abstractly, my approach is more intuitive and loose and I use acrylic or oil. With pastels, my paintings are representational and detailed. Whether I am painting representatively or abstractly, I try to capture the mood, emotion, and luminosity of what I am seeing and feeling.
Artist's Bio
Denise Byrnes Graham grew up on the South Shore of Massachusetts. From a young age, drawing and painting were an important part of her life. With encouragement from her Cohasset High School art teacher Tom Lucas, she continued her study of art in college. After graduating from New England School of Art with an Associate Degree in Advertising Design, she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Art from Northeastern University. For several years she was employed as a graphic designer and illustrator.
Since returning to her love of painting Denise has received numerous awards from regional and national juried art exhibits including First Place Oil from South Shore Art Center Festival 2023 and the Central Massachusetts Pastel Society Award at the National Juried Show For Pastels Only on Cape Cod 2022. Her contemporary landscape paintings have been described as having atmospheric quality with a sense of place.
Denise is a gallery artist at South Shore Art Center Cohasset MA, Framers Edge in Quincy MA, and the Russell Gallery at Plymouth Center for the Arts. She is a member of Pastel Painters Society of Cape Cod, North River Arts Society, Marshfield MA, Duxbury Art Association, and the Tuesday Plein Air Painters.
