Denise Clausen

Denise Clausen is a calligrapher, quilter, and former director of the Latimer Quilt and Textile Center. Her artwork today is an expression of her world in mixed media. The pieced, quilted, and hand-lettered works often include original poetry or quotes, hand-lettered in acrylics or India Ink.

The urge to create was always there, almost any surface was fair game. Denise studied art in high school and college. Since her first calligraphy class in 1973 through studio classes in the 1980s, Denise honed her skills lettering signs, posters, banners, wedding announcements and certificates. This led to teaching mini classes for her children’s school, an art class at the local high school, and 10 years at the community college. At the same time, Denise sold her pen and ink drawings in McMinnville and on the central Oregon coast.

Experiments with lettering on fabric have led Denise to create many lettered bed quilts and art quilts. Vintage textiles, unique fabrics or lyrical words are usually the starting point for her artwork. The bas-relief effect is created by hand or machine piecing, bringing the whole quilt to life.

Denise shares her quilted artwork often in exhibits, lectures, and workshops including the International Quilt Festival in Houston, Texas, the Elly Sienkiewicz Applique Academy in Williamsburg, Virginia, and many Northwest quilt guilds. Denise’s engaging presentations feature vintage quilts as well as her original hand-lettered quilts.