Short Bio
A Southern Impressionist Artist who enjoys sharing her southern roots through her artwork.
Statement
I truly feel that I was born an artist. Some of my earliest memories are of an art festival I attended when I was 3 years old with my mom to see a piece of my preschool artwork called “clouds”. I was born into a family with deep Southern roots. I am passionate about capturing that life on my canvases. Always thankful for what they had and finding joy in the simple pleasures. I continue to pay tribute to a lifestyle of front porches, swings, catching fireflies in the summer, hunting for kittens, picking grandma’s flowers and fresh strawberries, and fishing in the creek.
Ride through any southern town in spring and you might see the subjects of my artwork. Spend time with them, and a whole new world opens up. My animal characters all have personalities that shine through either on the canvas or through conversations around the dinner table. Through my landscapes, I try to catch the attention of those who may not take the time to notice the changing of the seasons, or the decay of a long abandoned structures that once held the keys to survival of the locals. My artwork celebrates the beauty that surrounds us on a daily basis, if we take the time to stop and notice the details of each petal before it falls.
As I am working, I become enveloped by the scene, the character, or the structure and for that moment in time I am deeply connected. Like a great book that can’t be put down, I find it’s almost impossible to stop until I feel that I am close to being finished. Each one becomes a part of my dreams, my imagination, my life. As a pastor said recently at a funeral I attended, “What will YOU leave behind?” When someone looks at a piece of my artwork, they are seeing My world through My eyes. The beauty of the nature of the South as I experience it, as my pallet celebrates the simplest of pleasures. Enjoy.
Biography
Denise Buff is an artist from Forsyth, Ga. Born into a family with deep Southern roots she enjoys capturing that lifestyle using combined painting techniques ranging from Monet to Pollock celebrating both historic and modern artistic representations. Denise studied with a private instructor before attending Georgia College as an art major and completed a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction at Mercer University. Today, She continues to study with other artists, has her own studio, teaches both adults and teens, and is the Founder of The 1823 Artisan Guild & Gallery on the square in Forsyth,Ga. She is on the Board of the Forgotten Coast Plein Air cultural coolition and serves as a volunteer for Plein Air South each March. Her work was included in the Winter Issue of Studio Visit, V.45 Magazine. Denise enjoys adding her own artistic style that she describes as Abstract Impressionism while paying tribute to an era of front porches, swings, catching fireflies in the summer, hunting for kittens, picking grandma’s flowers, and fishing in the pond.
Each of her paintings tell a story. As she paints; enveloped by the scene, the character, the memory, or the structure, that moment in time becomes contained within her piece. Like a great book that can’t be put down, Denise finds it’s almost impossible to stop until finished. Each piece captures a her dreams, imagination, and life. Living by the mantra, “What will YOU leave behind?” Denise will use acrylics, watercolor and oils to share her thoughts and memories. Life can be messy, tangled, and layered. Her art is textured and structured using a color palette that offers a sense of tranquility in the turbulence of life. This is why she creates.
Resume / CV
1979-1983 Studied Art at Tift College and Georgia College
1986-2017 Taught Middle School 7th grade
2017 Opened the Art Buff Studio
2017-2024 Teaching art class in all mediums to all ages including students of need.
2018 Organized the first Forsyth Art Walk
Organized local artisans to host the first Christmas Bazar
Created the Artisan Guild to be known as The 1823 Artisan Guild2019
Organized and managed the second Forsyth, Ga. Art Walk
2019 The guild Moved into our new location on the square
2020 Participated in first online Forgotten Coast Plein Air event
2021 Attended the for the first time The Forgotten Coast Plein Air event
2021 Attended Plein Air annual event in Eatonton Ga.
2022 Volunteer for Plein Air South
2022 Volunteer for Forgotten Coast Plein Air
Membership to the Macon Art Association
NOAPS member since 2020
2023 Senoia Ga. Home and Garden tour Artist
2023 Gilmer Arts Member
2023 Attended Plein Air in the Mountains event hosted by Gilmer Arts
2023 Volunteer for Forgotten Coast Plein Air
2023 Volunteer for Plein Air South
2024 Attended Annual Plein Air event in Eatonton Ga.
2024 Volunteer for Forgotten Coast Plein Air
2024 Volunteer for Plein Air South
2024 Attended 10th Anniversary of Plein Air in the Mountains.
2024 Joined the board for The Forgotten Coast Plein Air event
2024 September trip to Italy with Art mentor, Michelle Held
*Dates are approximate because lets face it, I am getting old and can not remember everything.
