We were lucky to catch up with Maddie Stratton recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Maddie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I was lucky enough to have artistic parents. My mom is a craftsperson: she makes earrings, crowns, and other pieces out of anodized aluminum wire, my dad has a non arts job but likes to dabble in watercolor and drawing from time to time. So I got a ton of support and always have been artistic. The idea of a career in the arts has always felt possible for me.

I went to multiple creative arts camps and attended the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts throughout high school.
The arts college I went to, Pratt Institute, had an amazing foundations program that I think did a lot for me in terms for draftsmanship and color theory skills, but I feel like I stayed in my comfort zone, artistically.

It wasn’t until I moved back home to New Orleans that I really embraced painting as a medium. I had not enjoyed nor fully taken advantage of painting classes at school. I had been making digital still lives and videos, and I had this notion that I didn’t know what I wanted to make or how to make it. It felt as though I was starting from scratch: I picked up a brush and some cheapo acrylic that had been leftover from my high school years: I started creating some small, simple portraits of made up people.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

It seems like I was always meant to be an artist. I was born and raised in a very creative household in New Orleans. My mother is an artist and encouraged my love of art making from an early age. I attended NOCCA, the local arts conservatory, which opened my eyes to new mediums and endless sources of inspiration. After returning from Pratt Institute, where I received my BFA, I took some time to breathe and rediscovered a love for painting. I have an obsession with colors; how they interact, how they make each other pop.
My paintings are heavily influenced by the pink sunsets and colorful architecture of New Orleans. I am also drawn to the plethora of birds and wildlife that acclimate to our city and neighborhoods, defying the structure we try to instill. In my paintings, I attempt to depict the inevitable and sometimes barely noticed disruptions that happen when nature intervenes into the “human sphere”. I am repeatedly reminded that we are not alone on this planet, and certainly not in control of it.
With vibrant colors and unnatural skin tones I reflect on this theme; creating an unsettling dynamic between humans and the animals that seem to be encroaching into the frame. In these paintings, I like to ask the question: who is encroaching on whom?
While I put a lot of thought into the meaning of my paintings, I feel a strong need to make my work accessible. They are thoughtful, but also have a need to make them beautiful and approachable.
This continued interest in accessibility is what led me to create my first Art History Coloring book. I drew my own renditions of famous art by famous artists (i.e. Mona Lisa, Salvador Dali etc.), printing each page of the little booklet on my printer at home. While creating this first booklet, I had no idea it would sell, and I definitely didn’t think it would be featured on Buzzfeed (twice!)
I have since created 3 more versions based on themes that interested me: Self Portraits by Women Artists, Timeless Nudes, and most recently: A commissioned book for the Barnes Foundation based on their extensive collection! I have been working hard on a fifth coloring book, Historical Babies, and have also been working with another local museum to create a second custom book!
My favorite part of making art is the actual act of creating it: the pen to paper, or paintbrush to canvas. I love getting in the flow, impulsively making decisions and seeing immediate results. I like that people can see a bit of my process when looking at my paintings or at one of the coloring books. I usually leave in stray pen marks or crossed out mistakes in the books and bits of underpainting showing through in paintings. My work is created to be accessible and is meant to bring some joy, color and levity to the viewer.

Have you ever had to pivot?

In late December of 2022, I was biking home from work, when someone (I still don’t know who) opened their car door as I was biking past. I was miraculously okay, but my right foot was severely broken and I could not walk for 6 weeks. I am actually still in recovery, 7 weeks later, having just been cleared to put some weight on my foot (finally). It’s amazing what you take for granted when you can walk! I was unable to drive nor do much of anything for myself! I live in an apartment that is a 2nd floor walk up!

Anyway, I had to spend so much of my time sitting on my couch. At first I was on pain meds and couldn’t do much more than stare at the tv for a few days. But gradually I was clear headed and anxious to do something artistic.
I began to work on a 5th coloring book, it’s easy for me to kill hours just drawing and listening to an audiobook. This one is nearly finished and in a couple months, I am going to start working with a local museum to create a custom coloring book for the opening of a new Anniversary exhibition.

I also started to design paintings on my computer for the future. This is something that I am incredibly lazy about usually. I finished about 3 or 4 ‘mock up’ paintings, and It made me so excited to get back to the studio, so with some help from my mom and some friends, I had a set up in my space with a table so I could paint some smaller paintings while sitting down.

This injury has been a huge lesson in asking for help. I am usually a very independent person who is afraid to ask for help! I have reconnected with a bunch of friends who, out of necessity have asked for small favors but have enjoyed long chats.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

Being a creative is a blessing as well as a curse. I love that being an artist transcends career and is a way of life, a personality. but this also means that it is virtually impossible to turn it off.

As an artist I use personal life experiences to create works of art that I then sell in order to survive. I find that I often cannot relax, If i find that I am not fully invested in the success of my career at any given moment, I am filled with guilt and regret. People often view artists and creatives as not as hard working, when in fact its almost as though I never stop working!
My time off my feet when I was unable to make much work was an incredible mental hurdle !

Contact Info:

• Website: www.maddiestratton.com
• Instagram: @maddiestrattonstudio @arthistorycoloringbooks