Denise Sagan

Ever since I can remember, Ive found beautiful things a joy to draw and paint. A person’s face, especially their eyes and smile, are of special interest to me because it is there that one sees the soul of a person. I see painting as a way of exploring the world and then translating those discoveries into something that can be shared with others. It’s like putting a spotlight on something I want people to see. However, as I’ve grown into an adult, I’ve discovered the unlovely as well. Juxtapositioning the beautiful against the broken and sorrowful makes the beautiful shine even more. This is why I paint my subjects on a cracked plaster surface that shows fragility and struggle.

Denise Sagan is a painter working in Fayetteville Arkansas. Her work has garnered numerous awards including 2 Best of Show awards in the Artists of Northwest Arkansas Regional Exhibition.

Born and raised in central Wisconsin, Denise studied art at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design before finishing her art degree at the University of Arkansas. Her early art career included 19 years as an illustrator and designer for Dayspring Cards as well as creating several commissioned portraits in colored pencil, earning signature status with the Colored Pencil Society of America.

Since going full time with her artist career in 2018, Denise has explored different mediums and genres from abstract to representational, renewing her love for painting the human face and figure.