Denissa U. Kiehl 

has always had a great passion for creating art.  Born in 1989 in the golden state of California, Denissa took to art the moment she discovered some paint bottles under her Christmas tree at the age of four. Throughout her childhood, Denissa developed an appreciation for the world surrounding her with all of its various, unique colors and imagery.  Traveling around the world, visiting places of natural beauty and historical significance, she would have the instant desire to share it with everyone she could in the world.  

Painting and drawing came naturally to her and at age thirteen, she was evaluated as a gifted student in Visual Arts by the state of California's LA unified school system.  She then zoomed through weekend and summer art classes of increasing levels at various art schools and college youth programs in California and abroad at the University of Cambridge, England, gaining new experiences, skills and concepts along the way.  Years of artistic expression made it clear that Denissa's life would be centered upon her passion for art and the world around her.  

Denissa is now making her way through her college art education.  Her work has been presented in numerous showcases and exhibitions throughout her college art department including the Annual Juried Student Art Show where a whole wall was dedicated to a series of her paintings.  In her third year of college, she was accepted into the California State University Study Abroad program in Florence, Italy; one of the oldest and greatest cities of art in the world, where she was able to pursue her passion for art.  It was a wonderful year full of experiences she will treasure throughout the rest of her life.  While spending a full year amongst the lush-green hills of Tuscany, she was accepted to study painting at Florence's Accademia di Belle Arti, a school of art whose history dates back to the great Renaissance sculptor, Michelangleo Buonarotti.  While in Italy, she also had the opportunity to study Italian art history and museum studies at the Uffizi Art Gallery with the director of its 19th Century and Contemporary Art collection, Dr. Giovanna Giusti.  

Back in California, Denissa has dedicated her time to organizing and participating in several art exhibits and presentations at her university.  As President of the Illustration Club and member of the Art History Students Association, Painting Guild and Animation Students League, she was in the thick of it all and relishing every moment of her time.  In the near future, she hopes to advance her art education by pursuing a Master of Arts degree.