Denise Elizabeth Stone

Artist statement

I have taken the long road to full-time art, with the scenic route winding through the vistas of science, spiritual studies, and psychology.  My art is informed and inspired by this journey.

I am interested in ancient Goddess art and symbolism, the Divine Feminine spirituality, ecology and the natural sciences, prehistoric cultural expression, and the human unconscious.  These interests take me along my painting path.

My work circles among images of women and men, imaginary landscapes, and what I call my rock visions, which resemble cave paintings.  As a former psychotherapist, I speak through my art in the language of metaphor, symbol, and archetype.  I paint an inner landscape.  The aim of my art is not for my creation to look like something, but to mean something.  While not explicitly religious, I seek to convey a feeling of sacredness and connectedness.

 Birds, fish, snakes, and trees make frequent appearances as dream symbols of soul, spirit, transformation, and the unconscious.  Intense colors, abstract or unexpected shapes within a realistic image, and symbolic imagery characterize all my work.   Because the essence of my art is a universal symbology, it often appeals to others at an intuitive, rather than a conscious level

 When I create a piece of art, a story emerges.  Sometimes I begin with the story in mind, but more often the story emerges as part of the creation process.  The story may be literal or allegory, a question or an epiphany, a moment in time or an enduring reality.  I may re-create the same image again and again until I have integrated its message and meaning. 

I have been inspired beyond measure by the artists of Batik Convergence, Sue Orlaske, Linda Peterson, and Jan Clark.  These wonderful BatCons provide constructive critiques, invaluable support, and wild and wacky ideas!  They give me that extra little push to create, to try something new, to stretch in new directions.

About Batik Watercolor

The unique process I use was developed by artist Eunice Cottrell Brandt.  Watercolor or gouache is painted on a Nepalese handmade paper made from the daphne plant.  A specific blend of beeswax and paraffin acts as a resist and provides visual texture, while enhancing the depth and intensity of the colors.  An ink wash follows the waxing process to achieve the batik crackle effect.  The process is lengthy and intricate.  The irregular edges, brushed ink strokes and crackling, and distinctive color shadings are characteristic of batik watercolor.