5 with Denise Levy
Denise Levy’s “Rural Routes: Paths, Roads + Highways Traveled” opens March 3 at Ming Toy Gallery. The reception, which is free and open to the public, runs from 6:00 to 9:00pm. Below, Denise took some time to answer our “5 with” questions. Get to know the artist below.
Q: When did you know you were going to be an artist?
I grew up in a very creative family. My grandmother was an artist and was very influential in my life. I didn’t think I was good at art until I went to college. One evening after watching friends in the dorm with art majors work on their projects, it hit me that I wanted to do something creative and quickly changed my major. I first switched to interior design but ended up with a BFA in art history. I didn’t know then that I would end up being an artist full time. It was just a hobby. I was an elementary school teacher for a short time but decided to stay home after my first child was born. Art quickly became my main hobby and something I needed to do. I’ve been painting consistently since then and started selling my art in 2008. It was a slow progression, but looking back, it makes sense that this is where I ended up.
Q: Describe your process.
Most, if not all, of my landscape paintings are done from my own photographs. I take a lot of photos on road trips and especially love taking photos of fields of hay bales. I study the photo and usually crop it to make a stronger composition. The base of my canvas is usually one color, or sometimes I create a more abstract intuitive layer. It just depends on how I’m feeling. I then sketch out the composition and begin painting layer by layer until I feel it is done. Which I’m not sure if it ever it is…
Q: Name the 3 most important things in your studio space.
Of course all of my paint, pencils, markers, paper and canvas are so important in my work and studio. Besides those obvious things, if I had to pick three, these next items would be it.
First, I have one of my grandmother’s easels that I treasure. It’s not super sturdy, but I love that she used it. And her brother made it, so it makes it even more special to me.
Another important thing to me in my studio are the windows. I work from home and in prior houses, my studios were in the basement. To have natural light is such a gift.
The third important thing is my computer. Whether it’s to design something in Photoshop, listen to a podcast or answer emails, I use it so much.
Q: Where do you find inspiration?
In nature. In studying other artists, both past and present. I love fashion and interior decorating, both are a great source of color inspiration. And in my most recent work, the stories of my youth have inspired so many paintings.
Q: What do you want others to know about you/your work?
I’m self-taught, but I’m not. I love color. I never thought my work had any deep meaning, and I wasn’t out to make any political statements. I just wanted to paint pretty paintings. But now I know my work can be both. My landscapes have a lot of meaning, both personal and political. Hopefully I can add to the conversation on how we treat the land and what we can do better - while sharing some childhood memories along the way.
To learn more about Denise Levy’s work, visit https://www.deniselevyart.com/.