Meet Denise Taillefer | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Denise Taillefer and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Denise, what habits do you feel helped you succeed?
Before I became an artist I worked as a traveling massage therapist in Los Angeles. The hotel concierges would call me with little notice and I would run from place to place to do my work. This “on the go” work like taught me to “show up” for each client. When I became a full time artist I had only myself to tell me what to do and when to do it. But my work ethic to show up to my art studio every day has paid off. I create every single day and my ideas flow because I am always creating. I also show up for my friends and family. It has become a value I cherish.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am Doodle-D art. I am a Painter, a Ceramicist and a Mosiac Artist. If I had to choose one, I am a foremost a painter.
I paint large acrylic paintings that I call dreamscapes. I allow my inner guide to show me that way and help my along the creative path. The paintings are a hybrid of abstract with imagery and have a dreamy playful quality. I also paint mixed media paintings filled with ephemera and whimsy. I like to add personal letters from my son or my husband, or scraps from my travels or books to add texture and meaning in my work. As an artist I get to mix things up so I have been learning ceramic art for a couple of years, I also create mosaics each year from ceramic tiles and plates that I find and break to create each piece. Mosaics are my first love and I have been making them for many years. I have several permanent mosaic installations in my home including 2 kitchen backsplashes, the risers of our staircase and the inlay on our built in meditation room benches. I am proud of my dedication to my work and how I have evolved as an artist and as a woman through my tenacity and sheer joy of the act of creating.

I has not been easy getting to where I am today. I have worked hard for many years and only recently have I felt that my art career is gaining momentum. I have learned that being an artist is a lifestyle and that I ma going to keep creating no mater who sees it, or who buys it, or who likes it. I am going to keep on making art for me. But the thing is, people respond to that kind of energy. I’ve learned that me and my art are well received when I stay true to my values and stay consistent with my art and my creative practice.

I want people to know that you don’t have to be a tortured soul to be a good artist. I am a joyful person and it comes out in my work. I find inspiration in travel, animals, myth, astrology, nature and people.

I also want people to know that every one is a creative weather they recognize it in themselves or not. We are all born creative and usually someone twlls them along the way that they are not “good” at art. I hope to help others find their inner artist and start where they are. I have begun teaching mixed media workshops with my next on in Frebraury 2025 in Pensacola, Florida. I look forward to guiding people on their creative path.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
As a matter of fact, my best friend will be visit me soon. I can’t wait to take her out and about for some movement, fine dining and culture. Since I live in the burbs of Sugar Hill, we will have some local fun. We will go to Settles Bridge park for a long trail walk with my dog by the Chatahoochee river followed by a great lunch at Sushi Nami.

We will go to The High Museum downtown another day to see The Georgia O’Keefe exhibit and then have a delicious meal at Rumi’s Kitchen at Colony Square.

Fot some holiday festivities. we will enjoy the lights at The Atlanta Botanical Garden. I will also take her to one of my favorite restaurants in Suwanee , One-Forty-One

We will also go to see the John Legend perform at The Fox Theatre and dine at Houston’s restaurant before the show.

We will end our week of delights with a yoga class and a massage and sauna at the new Sathya Yoga and Wellness in Suwanee, Ga.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d LOVE to give a shout out to one of my art teachers, Flora Bowley. www.florabowley.com
Flora has inspired me with her multitude of online and in person classes and helped me evolve as an artist a as person. She has a wonderful online community of like hearted creatives called Free Flo where she offers live painting sessions, guest teachers , daily prompts and a vibrant community of kind hearted artists. I would not have the confidence as an artist with out her. Thank you, Flora for all that you are and all that you do!!

Website: https://www.doodledeeart.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doodle_d_art

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/doodledart