Denise Liebermann is a contemporary oil painter whose work explores intimacy, companionship and the emotional tension embedded within everyday domestic life. Working across figurative painting, still life and animal portraiture, she creates carefully composed scenes that examine the relationships between humans, animals and the objects that quietly shape personal identity and memory.

Central to her practice is the recurring presence of dogs, used not simply as subjects but as emotional counterparts within the composition. Their gaze, posture and proximity become vehicles for exploring attachment, loyalty, dependence and vulnerability. Through these interactions, Liebermann investigates the unspoken psychological exchanges that exist between people and the animals with whom they share their lives.

Her paintings balance humour and melancholy, combining traditional oil painting techniques with a contemporary narrative sensibility. Rich surface texture, controlled lighting and restrained palettes create works that feel both intimate and quietly theatrical, inviting prolonged observation and emotional recognition.

Influenced by the rituals and tensions of domestic experience, Liebermann’s work seeks to elevate familiar moments into something psychologically charged and universally recognisable. Rather than presenting fixed narratives, the paintings remain open-ended, allowing viewers to project their own relationships, memories and emotional associations onto the scene.

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Education

Denise pursued her passion for art by returning to education as a mature student, beginning with an A level in Fine Art before progressing to the Art Foundation Program at Warwickshire College, Leamington spa, where she earned a BTEC Diploma. Over the years Denise has honed her practice through continuous self directed study and experimentation, building a deep understanding of her creative process and chosen medium. 

 

Denise’s work is held in private collections across the US, France, Portugal, Spain, Ireland, and the UK. She also accepts commissions, specialising in bespoke figurative and still-life paintings.

 

Teaching Experience

Denise has taught numerous art workshops, focusing on her creative process in needle felted wool sculpture & charcoal drawing techniques: She enjoys sharing her knowledge and nurturing the artistic talents of students of all ages. 

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Skills & Techniques

Medium:  Oil

Specialisations: Figurative and contemporary still life. 

Approach: Large and lean oil paintings of figures, or figures with dogs with challenging compositions and unexpected foreshortening. 

 

Publications and Media Coverage

Denise’s work has been featured in several art-focused publications, both in print and online, celebrating her innovative approach to her figurative and still-life art.