Denise DeMarie’s background is in working with fibers, and hand papermaking. In 1992 she formed Grass Roots Paper and gained international attention through utilizing fiber sources from noxious weeds and agricultural by-products in making paper. She founded Newport Paper Art Festival in Newport, OR, which draws participants eager to learn about papermaking, printing, book arts, etc. The Oregon Coast Council for the Arts now hosts the event. As Denise’s work evolved, textile fibers, rather than papermaking fibers, have become her media of choice. Current works combine multiple techniques resulting in complex pieces full of color and texture. Denise has shown at numerous exhibits, including several times at the Sitka Invitational, the Japanese Gardens, Interiors By Invitation, both in Portland OR, and the Invisible Exhibit in Bratislava, Slovak Republic. She has taught at the Sitka Center for Art and Ecology, Daniel Smith Community College and other venues. She has been published in national and Canadian magazine, spanning subjects from sustainable agricultural to craft techniques to gallery art.

Aerial Geography
$480

Layered materials, candy wrappers, Tyvek, translucent fibers
Layering, assembling and painting, fibers treated with a heat gun

I call my current work “extreme embellishment”. Texture inspires me. Whether knitting, weaving, making handmade papers or sewing, the fibrous textures have kept me spellbound. My work at this stage involves layers of textures. There are so many layers, I loose count, each one contributing to the whole. I use fabrics, plastics and metals, trims, yarns, crystals, embroidery and paint. I burn parts away or melt others together. The results still seem organic to me, the reflection of Nature’s textures. I see her mountains, valleys, rivers and skies in my work. I see her tapestry all around me.