Born in Sydney, Denise attended City Art Institute, now UNSW Art & Design, in the early 1980s majoring in drawing. After completing a Diploma of Education in 1986 she went on to teach Visual Art in High Schools, Colleges and Universities.

Denise’s interest in printmaking combined elements of both painting and drawing led to her developing expertise in the many skills involved in the production of a successful fine art print, specifically etching.

With an ongoing interest in the narrative and figurative work of old masters’ Denise enrolled in a M.Lit. (Visual Arts & Design), enabling her to research the work of Pieter Bruegel the Elder.  Many series of etchings followed, often inspired not only by Pieter Bruegel but also by William Hogarth, William Blake and Renaissance ideas. Much of this work was exhibited at galleries in Sydney, such as Mura Clay in Newtown and Max Taylor Galleries in Summerhill.  She became a member of Sydney Printmakers in 2007 and has participated in many touring and local exhibitions organized by Sydney Printmakers.

Denise now lives in a mud brick home in Taylors Flat (Hilltops) where the local landscape is inspiring much of her subject matter. While still referencing mythological and Biblical subjects her work is now also populated by creatures living in and around the countryside from echidnas to shingleback lizards and the ubiquitous kangaroo.

Denise has also become involved in the local Hilltops community, and has been instrumental in the establishment of the Boorowa Museum Print Studio, giving demonstrations on the first Saturday of the month of letterpress printing, composing and typesetting on the old Boorowa News printing press to the general public.  

Denise has been involved in many group and solo exhibitions and has been awarded many prizes, including the Camden Art Show, Ryde Art Prize (prints), RAS miniature prize, RAS Print Prize, and been a finalist in the Portia Geach Award, the Blake Prize for Religious Art, the Burnie Print Prize and the Fremantle Print Award.