We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Denise Cormier Mahoney. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Denise Cormier below.

Alright, Denise Cormier thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

As a visual artist, I consider my viewers when planning the visual impact of my work. It’s important to keep the viewer’s experience in mind when sharing pictorial messages. This helps the observer connect and resonate from the emotional experience of the artwork.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I was raised in Memramcook, New Brunswick, and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1983 at the Nova Scotia College of Art & Design in Halifax, Nova Scotia then went on to obtain a Masters in Art Education at Texas Tech University in 2011.

I am a mid-career painter and printmaker and have been creating art fulltime for the past twenty-two years. I love sharing art by teaching creativity as much as I love creating.

In my latest body of work, titled “Echoes,” I delve into childhood memories and the echoes of long-forgotten sounds. Each painting in this series serves as a vessel for a poem, an ode to the distant sound of a childhood train, forming the underpainting. The name “Echoes” befits the ghost-like layers that shroud the compositions, celebrating the carefree spirit of childhood exploration.

Incorporating symbolism steeped in healing traditions, each piece carries profound meaning. Circles embody the quest for wholeness, while the Bear symbolizes courage, the Rabbit vulnerability, the Tree stability, the Owl wisdom, and Birds the yearning for freedom and spiritual awakening.

As a mixed media artist, I utilize a dynamic fusion of acrylic paint, gold leaf, and handmade paper to give life to my contemporary concepts. The result is an intimate and intricate tapestry of visual elements, inviting the viewer to explore the myriad layers of detail and form.

Ah, the sound of a distant train!
Whistles blow their warning!
Blaring near or fading far;
All decided by the wind!

In “Echoes,” I seek to evoke a sense of wonderment and introspection, an invitation to embrace one’s own journey through nostalgia.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I’ve spent the past 22 years working to trust my own unique creative voice; not allowing negativity or another artist’s journey to influence mine. It’s been a difficult yet rewarding experience because most creatives have a deep-set insecurity that stems from the intimacy of our creation linking our individuality.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

For 12 years, I taught art at the secondary level. I was not trained as a teacher but asked to fill the role of art instructor nevertheless. My willingness overcame my lack of experience and I found myself teaching from knowledge acquired at the university level.

Going back to the basics was one of the first tools I used to guide my students in all the mediums I presented to them. I soon realized that I was becoming the art teacher I had always yearned to have. I began to guide them not only in understanding the rules but also how to break them. I wanted them to first recognize, embrace then feed the individual creative that was inside of each of them. By teaching them to trust their own instincts instead of pleasing their instructor, I found freedom to follow the same advice for myself.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.dcmstudios.org/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dcmahoneyart/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/denisecormiermahoneystudios

Image Credits
Image of artist: photo credit Andie Avery Photography Images of artwork photo credit: DCMStudios