Denise Souza Finney "Where Are We Going"

A path that leads to a meaningful life.

Many of us desire that right? But how do we know what path that is and if we are even on it? We are all born with innate skills and deep desires to follow a meaningful path. I believe that. What is your calling, your skills? For me, it has been a creative path of making art with my hands and performing art through dance. This path, however exhilarating and fulfilling it may feel, can be a very murky road. There are just a couple of times I have questioned my choice, but for the most part, I continue to forge ahead with this desire to create and call myself an artist.

painting tools of artist Denise Souza Finney

My family has been a great influence on me. English was neither of my grandparents’ first languages. One pair spoke Portuguese and the other Italian, and yet my parents speak only English. One very strong trait within my family has been their ability to make things. For my Dad, it was woodworking and life in road construction, for my siblings it has been building guitars, remodeling homes, and rebuilding car engines. My mother cooks, gardens, and sewed. We are confident do-it-yourselfers. The downside to this great skill is not knowing when you should stop trying to do it all yourself. It’s ok to ask for help, not from a book or YouTube video, but from a person. To be a great artist, a great anything, one must learn to use the greatest and most generous resource, other people.

Tres Alegrias Rojos by Denise Souza Finney
Finney family portrait redwoods smith river
gesture painting of blue poppies by Denise Souza Finney

As individuals, we all have something unique to offer to society. I try hard to follow that idea. I like to make connections, similar to finding pieces of a puzzle, that might uncover truths about us stubborn and emotional humans. My puzzle includes a family with my husband, teen, and preteen girls, living in a digital age with a shared love of outdoor adventures and travel. My paintings form a picture that I hope shows how we might improve the parts that feel broken or disconnected.
This feels like my path, and I hope in some way my work helps you to find your path.