Hey There!
I'm Deena, nice to meet you! I create art much like life itself—layered, a little messy, and full of surprises. My background in graphic design draws me to the way shapes, balance, and rhythm can tell a story, but once I have a rough idea, I let intuition take over. One mark sparks the next, textures stack and shift, and before long there’s this perfectly imperfect kind of chaos that feels alive. I love experimenting—switching up materials, chasing curiosity, and letting accidents become the best parts of the piece. In the end, my paintings are conversations without words—saturated with color, layered with movement, and inviting you to step in, feel something true, and maybe even find the unexpected.
About Me.
I grew up in a small town in western Kansas, where strong German roots and rural surroundings shaped the way I see the world—and ultimately, the way I create. I earned a BFA in Graphic Design with an emphasis in painting from Fort Hays State University, launching a successful career in design. Yet throughout that journey, fine art remained my constant, and over time, it naturally moved to the forefront of my practice.
After years living in Dallas/Fort Worth and Kansas City, I relocated with my family to Sarasota, Florida, in 2020—a place that immediately felt like home. In 2022, I realized a long-held vision by opening Define Art Gallery and Studio. While deeply rewarding, this chapter ultimately clarified my desire to return fully to the studio. Recently, I made the intentional decision to close the gallery and refocus my time and energy on my own artistic practice, allowing space for deeper exploration, growth, and the expansion of my work. Currently my artwork is represented by Mara Art Studio and Gallery in Sarasota, Florida.
EXHIBITIONS AND AWARDS
FULL CV AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST
Top Juried Exhibitions
-
SURFACE, National Juried Exhibition, d’ART Center, Norfolk, VA (2025)
-
H.E.R. | History, Empowerment, Resilience, National Juried Exhibition, Arts Illiana, Terre Haute, IN (2025)
-
National Association of Women Artists: Summer Small Works, New York, NY (2025)
-
FRESH, National Juried Exhibition, Visual Arts Center, Punta Gorda, FL (2024)
-
Bay Area 16, Regional Juried Exhibition, Old Hyde Park Art Center, Tampa, FL (2024)
-
13th Biennial National Juried Art Exhibit, Visual Arts Center, Punta Gorda, FL (2023)
-
Abstraction, National Juried Exhibition, Marks Art Center, Wichita, KS (2023)
-
Strictly Abstract, International Juried Exhibition, O’Hanlon Center for the Arts, Mill Valley, CA (2023)
-
The Best of the Best, International Juried Exhibition, Laguna Art Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA (2023)
-
Into the Blues, Lina Rincon Art Gallery, Sarasota, FL – 1st Place, Best in Show (2022)
Solo Exhibitions
-
Number Chronicles, Define Gallery, Sarasota, FL (2025)
-
It Must Be the Water, Define Art Gallery, Sarasota, FL (2024)
-
Artist in Residency: Solo Exhibition, Art Ovation Hotel, Sarasota, FL (2023)
Selected Group Exhibitions
-
SHOPLIFTABLE 3, 502 Gallery, Sarasota, FL (2025)
-
CREATE, Herrig Center for the Arts, Bradenton, FL (2025)
-
CITYSCAPE, Light, Space & Time Gallery, Jupiter, FL (2025)
-
Abstract, Part Crowd Gallery, Toronto, Canada (2025)
-
Color Play Abstract Art, CEV Gallery, Phoenix, AZ – Honorable Mention (2025)
-
Faces, Grey Gallery, NYC (2024)
-
Ignite Imagination, Visual Art Center, Punta Gorda, FL (2024)
-
Identity – Exploring the Human Condition, Art Center Sarasota, FL (2024)
-
Big Works, Five Deuces Galleria, St. Petersburg, FL (2024)
-
/AB’STRAKT/, Define Gallery, Sarasota, FL (2023)
-
Modes of Abstraction, Art Center Sarasota, FL (2023)
-
All About Winter, DEGA Art Association, TX (2023)
-
The Figure, Art Center Sarasota, FL (2023)
-
Artistic Independence, Laguna Art Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA (2023)
-
BLUE, Colors of Humanity Art Gallery, PA (2022)
-
Wet Paint, Colors of Humanity Art Gallery, PA (2022)
Awards
-
1st Place, Best in Show – Into the Blues, Lina Rincon Art Gallery, Sarasota, FL (2022)
-
Honorable Mention – Color Play Abstract Art, CEV Gallery, Phoenix, AZ (2025)
-
Honorable Mention – An Abstract View, Art Center Sarasota, FL (2024)
-
Honorable Mention – Modern Art, Grey Cube Gallery NYC (2022)
-
Bronze Award – Poster Design, AAFW ADDY, Wichita, KS
-
Brass Ring Award – Oklahoma Christian University, Oklahoma City, OK