About Denise Di Battista

I've drawn ever since I can remember. At school I sat quietly filling my Latin vocabulary book with 60’s dress designs, figurative drawings and portraits of school friends and teachers. I’m a great thinker or perhaps I should say daydreamer. I am never bored and can spend absolutely ages making mental images for my next paintings.

My subjects are often of situations that I’ve observed, I am a consummate ‘picture maker’ and ‘people watcher’. I compose constantly; I love the shapes, textures and particularly the colours that life provides, particularly those found in old buildings and stone work.


The beauty of nature (even when cold and wet) is positively breathtaking. It surrounds us constantly and it’s free! My work is therefore sometimes representational though always composed in such a way that it suggests what I thought or felt at the time.

I do not however always use observed life as a starting point. Some of my work is purely mental imagery. This work results from a variety of influences, I love the work of Ucello and of many naive artists e.g. Henri Rousseau and the artist Slobodan who works in Nice, France.

I love the rich jewel like colours, the clean unfussy lines and the balance of strong colours. I generally paint subjects that make me happy, I feel so privileged that as a result of painting I am having the time of my life.