Denise Cerro's background includes parallel careers in both visual presentation and as a faux finish and mural artist. Mural work eventually led her to painting on canvas, and her merchandising eye for putting things together stirred an interest in mixed media and assemblage art- Originally a self-taught artist, once Denise began painting on canvas, she learned as much as she could about painting techniques by taking countless classes and workshops in both representational and abstract painting. My current mixed media work merges my art and craft family influences, my use of layered papers and textures serve as a ground upon which my semi-abstract paintings are built. I paint what I like and what I know...still life, flowers, landscapes, figures, faces, texturesmwhile pushing them into abstracted places. My inspiration is life around me and my curiosity of how I can convey that onto canvas. Along with creating in her Southern California home studio, Denise teaches mixed media painting classes and is a founding member of the art collective, Fl VEart Studio, in the Arts District Liberty Station in San Diego.