"Taking Off" by Denise Snyder

Peeled lilac wood. 26" x 24" x 3", 2 lbs. 2019. I look for the many ways that branches can interact and support one another in their high and low points. This feels like the way that people and plants and animals can support one another when they get together. I also like these attachment points in my sculptures to be sort of invisible. The rich clean surfaces that the wood offers intrigues me.

Denise has always had a strong connection to nature and its beautiful forms and textures. Early in life her interest took on a scientific bent. She studied environmental science at Western Washington University. To complete her degree, she studied marine algae along the arctic coastline of Mehamn, Norway.

Norway is where her she was inspired by their traditional crafts of tapestry and weaving. Eventually she spent an extended time in Sweden studying weaving and apprenticed with Viveka Nygren, a celebrated fiber artist.

Over time, Denise began making wall and free-standing sculptures from more organic materials such as peeled or unpeeled branches, grasses, paper, wire and metal. The clarity of her designs and balanced sense of composition reflect the influence of Denise�s Scandinavian heritage and her experiences abroad.

Denise�s work has been exhibited widely, including at the Nevada State Museum, Bellevue Art Museum, Whatcom Museum, and the Nordic Heritage Museum. Her large-scale public sculptures have been on view in downtown Bellingham. The artist�s corporate commissions range from numerous Hyatt and Marriott Hotels throughout US, the Bellagio Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and a most recent commission for the Ballard Yards Luxury Apartments in Seattle, WA.

Denise lives in Bellingham with her husband Brett Baunton, a landscape photographer.

You can find more of the artist's work at www.dsnyderartist.com.