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Hello, my name is Denise Sanders and I am delighted to have been chosen CanyonArts Festival 2012 Featured Artist.
Growing up in the small town of Scio Oregon, I developed a love of the outdoors. I remember sitting at the window with my crayons and color books, watching the rain that kept me indoors, resigning myself to the never-ending dreariness, only to become lost in the joy of coloring. With my first watercolor paint set, I discovered that I could create whatever fantasy I chose. I knew then that I wanted to be either an artist or a princess.
As it turned out, being an artist became the practical choice - imagine that! I worked as a water color artist at J. Stone cards for several years before I went to Chemeketa Community College, where I earned my associates degree in visual communications and was hired to work as a graphic designer. Since moving to Lyons, Oregon, I have painted 3 murals and shown at the Canyon Arts Festival. I am a member of both Artist’s in Action and the Salem Art Association.
My current work is inspired by the beauty of the Santiam Canyon. I am especially fascinated by the flowing water of the rivers here; patterns of current mirroring the sky and land, intermingled with transparent views of the sunlit riverbed. I am thrilled by images of alder roots twisting their way around the variety of rocks right into the river, blades of green grass bent and vibrating in the current, colored leaves swimming like koi, swirling eddies and the peaceful, clear pools, sometimes jade, sometimes opal or turquoise. Most days, I can be found either walking the banks of the river, kayaking on the river, swimming in it, or painting it with either oils or acrylics.
It was announced at the last Santiam Hearts to Arts meeting, that the theme for this year's Canyon Arts Festival will be “Dare to Dream.” In that conversation, I heard the words "bright” "whimsical" "balloons" and "hope in the canyon." I came up with the idea to paint nice bright hot air balloons flying over the Santiam Canyon in a Grandma Moses style. I've always loved that I have a strong female artist that was born exactly 100 years before me, so I’ve just been waiting for an opportunity like this. Using a modified version of her style, Google Earth, a few photos and a bit of imagination, I’m hoping to create a painting that shows the charm and natural beauty of this canyon that I love so much. Who knows, maybe I could paint myself flying off with Grandma Moses.
Anna Mary Robertson (Grandma Moses) was born in Greenwich, New York, on September 7, 1860. Her father bought her and her 9 siblings large sheets of blank newsprint for drawing. She loved to draw happy colorful scenes. In 1887 she married a farm worker, Thomas Moses. When she was too old to do farm work, she began to embroider. At the age of 76, she was no longer able to embroider, so she began to paint. She painted joyful scenes of rural life and was wildly famous within a couple of years. Her early works were painted with house paint on cardboard. In the strong pioneer spirit that I admire, she made something from what she had.
Don't forget to stop by and visit me at the CanyonArts Festival.
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