Denise Daffara

Denise Daffara is part of a new breed of contemporary artists living on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia. Her work brings together a fusion of motherhood, friendship and femininity in the 21st Century.

Born in Wellington in New Zealand, Denise remembers a childhood spent pestering her parents for new crayons, pencils and paints, to feed her burning desire for drawing and painting. Her sister Maria, who was an accomplished and talented artist, influenced her work and her decision to choose art as her career. In the late eighties Denise emigrated to Australia and later she settled into the sunshine and beach lifestyle on the Sunshine Coast, an hour north of Brisbane.

This move brought her into contact with well established local artist Peter Hales, who is based in Noosa. It was under his guidance that Denise started to take her art and her passion more seriously through regular mentoring, lessons and guidance.

When it comes to technique, Denise represents what is new and funky about painting and design, with a style that dabbles in both traditional and modern styles. Her work is striking, personal and is easily relatable to the modern woman. It speaks to the woman at home, at play and at work and the woman who seeks the fusion of these three parts of her life.

Like all artists her work is ever evolving but at the core of each piece are the joys of feminine life, with vibrant colour and distinct form.

Denise says, "Motherhood and friendship are a constant source of inspiration for me and in each piece I aim for elegant simplicity”.

A private commission has seen Denise link up with good friend and journalist, Sarah Schofield, and design the front cover for her poetry book "Portraits & Love". She has just completed designing and painting for the cover of a seafood cookbook named “The Chef & I” to be released in 2010. Denise also designed a CD cover design for a meditation cd by Linda Ireland.

In 2009 a State Govt. initiative with Queensland Urban Ecology, Denise participated in a community project to beautify some traffic signal boxes, she donated her time and painted two bright additions to the Mooloolaba and Alexandra Headland streetscape much to the delight of locals and visitors.

When people see Denise’s work they often feel the need to commission personalised pieces, which is one of Denise Daffara’s fortes. These pieces are now represented in various Australian and overseas collections.

Her original artwork is for sale through a Sunshine Coast “Tiffany Jones Fine Art Gallery”

Her work can be viewed at www,denisedaffara.com.au