Today we’d like to introduce you to Keisha Makonese.
Hi Keisha, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Art has always been part of my story. I grew up in Denver, began creating at a young age, participated in my high school’s Art Honor Society, and later studied art at Metropolitan State College. Life eventually took me in another direction as I raised my family and built a career in sales, events, hospitality, and community engagement, but I never stopped creating.
Years later, I returned to art with a renewed sense of purpose. I began working in mixed media, combining acrylic paint with fabric, wire, lace, ribbon, texture, and found materials. I’ve never wanted to be limited by what traditionally belongs on a canvas; I enjoy allowing the materials and the story to guide the work.
I also discovered that art is part of my family legacy. My great-grandmother, Flora Carnell Lewis Washington, was an artist whose work “Farm Life” was exhibited at New York’s Museum of Modern Art in 1939. Learning about her story deepened my connection to my own creative journey and inspired me to continue that legacy in my own way.
My work explores identity, visibility, resilience, femininity, nature, and the layers of personal stories. I have also expanded into wearable art through my handmade wire earrings. Today, I’m proud to be a Denver mixed-media artist who has sold hundreds of original works and wearable-art pieces, exhibited throughout the community, and served on the Red Rocks Public Art Committee. In 2026, I was honored to be selected as a Featured Artist for the 40th anniversary of the Colorado Black Arts Festival, an event that has been an important part of my artistic journey.
My path to becoming an artist was not a straight line, and I appreciate that. Raising a family, building a career, working with people, and returning to creativity all show up in my work. I didn’t simply come back to art and I came back with more life to put into it.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. One of my biggest challenges has been balancing being an artist with everything else life requires, raising a family, building a career, working full time, and still finding the time and energy to create.
There were years when my art had to take a back seat, but it never completely disappeared. When I returned to creating more seriously, I also had to rebuild my confidence and learn the business side of being an artist. Creating the work is one thing. Putting a price on it, promoting yourself, applying for opportunities, hearing “no,” and continuing to show up can be another challenge entirely.
I’ve also had to learn not to measure my artistic journey against someone else’s. I didn’t take a traditional path, and for a long time I thought that might put me behind. Now I realize that the life I lived outside of the art world gave me experiences, stories, and perspectives that have made my work stronger.
Even today, balancing a professional career with my creative life can be challenging. I’ve learned that I have to protect my creative energy and make space for art instead of waiting until I have extra time.
The struggles have actually become part of the work. They’ve taught me resilience, patience, and the importance of continuing to create even when the path isn’t perfectly clear. My journey may not have been smooth, but every turn has given me something to bring back to the canvas.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m a mixed media artist, and I specialize in creating textured, layered work that tells a story. I work with acrylic paint, fabric, lace, ribbon, wire, hot glue, tape, 3D filament, and found materials. I love taking materials that may not traditionally belong on a canvas and figuring out how they can become part of the story.
I’m known for creating work that invites people to look closer. Many of my pieces explore identity, visibility, femininity, resilience, nature, and personal history. My different series allow me to explore those ideas in different ways. My Black Out Series focuses on being seen and unseen. My Tangled Series explores the process of freeing ourselves from the things that hold us back. My Mother Nature Series celebrates nature, beauty, strength, and legacy. My ballerinas represent grace, strength, movement, and individuality.
My creativity also extends beyond the canvas. I create one of a kind handmade wire earrings that I consider wearable art. Whether I’m creating a painting or a pair of earrings, I want the finished piece to feel original and have its own personality.
What sets me apart is that I’m not afraid to experiment. I don’t feel like art has to follow a specific formula, and I don’t want every piece I create to look exactly like the one before it. Sometimes I start with an idea, and sometimes the materials lead me somewhere completely unexpected. That freedom is an important part of my process.
I’m most proud that I kept creating and built an artistic life on my own terms. I’ve sold hundreds of original pieces and wearable art, connected with collectors through festivals and exhibitions, and had opportunities to serve my community through art. Being selected as a Featured Artist for the 40th anniversary of the Colorado Black Arts Festival was especially meaningful because of my history with the festival and my connection to Denver.
I’m also incredibly proud to continue the artistic legacy of my great grandmother, Flora Carnell Lewis Washington. Her story reminds me that creativity can travel through generations. I’m carrying that legacy forward while creating a body of work that is completely my own.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
I would say resilience has been the most important quality behind my success. My journey as an artist has not been a straight line, but I’ve learned that success doesn’t always come from having the perfect path. Sometimes it comes from simply refusing to stop.
Resilience has allowed me to return to my art after raising a family and building a career, continue creating after rejection, take chances on new opportunities, and keep putting my work in front of people even when I wasn’t sure what the outcome would be.
That persistence has led to opportunities I’m incredibly proud of, from selling hundreds of pieces of art and wearable art to exhibiting my work, connecting with collectors, serving on the Red Rocks Public Art Committee, and being selected as a Featured Artist for the 40th anniversary of the Colorado Black Arts Festival.
I’ve learned that every “no” doesn’t mean stop. Sometimes it simply means keep creating, keep growing, and find another door. For me, resilience is what turned my creativity into a journey and that journey into success.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Keisha_Makonese_Ary
