Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Denise Nomura. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Denise, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your creative career sooner or later?

Yes, I wish I had started sooner. Creation takes time, especially in painting. Yet, without my experience working, raising children, and ultimately finding this new passion, I may not have been as fulfilled as I feel now. One never knows how it would have played out if I majored in Art, or Art History, worked in a museum, or became a professional artist at a young age. I know that now, with confidence, I want to be an artist, I am an artist. I want to sell my work and I want people to see it and be moved. Mine was a slow evolution as I chose not to follow my passions in art until much later. My focus has always been nature-based. I grew up in the mountains
Sedona, AZ and I love to hike. I love forests and open fields and I especially water, the ocean and lakes. I use these images to create abstract artwork whereby the viewer feels this idea of nature. While painting, I lose myself and become absorbed in the process. Hours go by and I never have enough time. I truly have found my passion. It took 60 years.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a nature-based abstract artist who is evolving daily in my practice. I am greatly influenced by my experiences and by nature. I feel compelled to create what I see but in a way that is not representational. I’ve always wanted to create since I was a young child. My grandmother influenced me greatly as she was a very accomplished painter. When I was young, I would draw, paint, do needlework, make hooked rugs and candles, macrame, and so much more. I was lucky to have a mother who supported me in my craft-making. Once in college, however, I thought I should take a more practical approach and studied business.

At the age of 45, I started painting and it was like I could finally breathe. We moved to Japan and while there I began my studies in Sumie Ink and Gansai, Japanese water-based painting. I had terrific instructors who taught me how to use one brush to create a variety of strokes and techniques. In Sumie, you begin by taking a small stick made from soot and glue and then rub it on an ink stone, adding water slowly to create the ink base. I loved the smell of the sumie ink and the process was very meditative. Once we returned to the US, I began working in oil, very intimidating as you need to be strategic with the paint while placing it on the surface. I mastered it little by little and enjoyed painting landscapes and still-life scenes. Although it was satisfying briefly knowing that I could master copying a photo, I was not fulfilled. Sure, it was remarkable to see beautiful landscape paintings or the replication of a perfect flower in a vase, but I wanted to feel something more. I spent my junior year of college in Paris and it was there that I became intrigued by the impressionists, expressionists, and ultimately abstract artists. I realized that one could create moving and emotional artwork without identifying an object within its borders. This idea was always in the back of my mind as I moved through life. How can I create something that moves a person so much and not have it be any specific thing on the canvas?

During the Pandemic, I took an online course in abstract painting and suddenly felt my heart racing. This was home for me. Using color and composition to denote a feeling was so rewarding. We moved to New York City in 2021 and I enrolled at the Art Students League and took classes from abstract artist, Frank O’Cain. In these past 3 years, I have learned so much and now all I want to do is paint. I am hoping to support myself with my artwork. I have done several commissions whereby I work with the client on sizing and feel of the work to create something specific for them. I have exhibited in the Bay area of San Francisco and have sold work through my website denisenomura.com. I return to California in May and will exhibit again in Orinda, CA at the end of the summer and in 2025. I am hoping for gallery representation in San Francisco soon.

Every artist is unique to their craft. Because mine is nature-based, I feel that most clients can feel a connection to my work. Nature brings us together. We feel its power and strength, its calm, and its beauty. I create paintings that capture these emotions and it’s my hope that my clients will feel these emotions daily while looking at their original painting. It gives me so much happiness and satisfaction to move a person with my work.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Two things that could help support artists and a thriving creative ecosystem. The first is to expose children to art from a young age. Art is so important in fostering success in our lives. Creativity is the base of a successful business. For 8 years, I worked in a nonprofit, the Lamorinda Arts Council, creating programs to promote artistic expression within the community. We held art competitions for high school students and hosted exhibits for elementary students. We held annual singing competitions, managed two community art galleries encouraging our local artists, and promoted the literary arts with readings by new authors. It was for me such a fulfilling experience seeing our communities thrive within the arts.

Secondly, I believe artists should be supported based on their talent and not their pedigree. Sometimes, I feel excluded from the professional gallery space because I do not have formal art-based education behind my name. Years of taking classes and practicing should be noted, but it truly is the talent that should be seen. This is one thing I would change.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Being practical is not necessarily the answer to success. I’ve always been practical and careful and this has tampered my creativity. If I had more confidence from the beginning I think I could have become more successful in my artistic journey. I think its important to listen to your intuition and to follow your passions. You hear that all the time, but in the end it is what makes you fulfilled and happy.

Contact Info:

• Website: denisenomura.com
• Instagram: dnomura.art
• Facebook: dnomura.art
• Linkedin: Denise Nomura