Denise Dambrackas—
Crafting Narrative Realism Workshop

Denise Dambrackas

Denise Dambrackas is a narrative painter who combines contemporary realism and graphic design to tell stories. Her art making began as a teen, as a means for escape and found a means for communication and connection. She studied at Miami Dade Community College and Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore before receiving a BFA, with an emphasis in oil painting, from Florida State University, in 1995. After college, and for about 20 years, she made her living as a graphic designer. Starting in 2019 her passion for realism lead her to atelier training, with artists such as Tony Ryder and Michelle Tully.

Her debut series “Future Feminine” aims to inspire young women to boldly combat societal doubts. She uses a unique multi-media approach by beginning some of her works with an acrylic underpainting, which at times include gel transfers of printed and typographic materials. The majority of her works are executed with, her medium of choice, oil paint. Her creative process starts with an inspired live photoshoot, followed by a digital composition and then is honed through color studies before finding her way to a larger format for the final work. Her paintings depict a blend of emotive figuration, real-world dreamscapes and a bit of whimsy.

Beyond her formal education, Denise credits her husband and their shared art community, including seasoned artists as significant influences. Notably, Denise won “Best of Show” at the “Old Myths New Stories National, Juried Group Show” in 2020, was named a “Finalist” in the Portrait Society Member Competition three times, received 7th place in the same, received “Finalist” in the 2025 Almenara Collection, and has been granted multiple awards of Merit and one “Artist’s Choice” in the Colorado Governor’s Art Show.