Branches, Oils, 2020
Croton, Oils, 2020
Stages, Oils, 2020
This and That, Oils, 2021
Men at Work, Oils, 2022
Sunset Brazil, Oils, 2019
My ribbon!, Oils, 2022
5th of May, Oils, 2022
Elena Luz, Oils, 2022
Background
Denise Shamoun Phalan, originally from New York City, has called Virginia her home for many years. Mainly a painter, Phalan works in mixed media as well. Phalan earned an MFA in drawing and painting from The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. An original studio artist at the Workhouse, Phalan thinks of it as her second home. Phalan is a member of the Oil Painters of America and Austin Plein Air. She has received numerous awards for her paintings and mixed media works.
Philosophy
Phalan is never happier than when she is working at her art. One of her students once remarked why was she so happy -another student immediately piped in, "because she painted all weekend." Phalan gravitates to Matisse's philosophy about art being a comfortable armchair. She looks to the beauty of the world, to places, people, and to their possessions, and endeavors to make art that is intriguing, thought-provoking, and emotive. An interesting fact: as a teen, Phalan encountered Salvador Dali.