We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Madeleine Herisson-Leplae. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Madeleine below.

Madeleine, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s jump back to the first dollar you earned as a creative? What can you share with us about how it happened?

I was at a summer college program in high school around 2011. My mom had signed me up to test whether going to college for art might be something I would be interested in. It was such a fun experience, and I knew that going to school for art was what I wanted by the end but being in that environment with other amazing young artists, most of whom were way more technically skilled than me, was intimidating. I didn’t leave it feeling like I was as good as I thought when I was dropped off on day one. My best friend’s dad saw some of the drawings I had done in a figure drawing class and bought a drawing of a foot from me. He was an avid art lover and collector; he owned paintings by artists who are now some of my biggest inspirations. Having my work acknowledged by someone who knew art and wasn’t obligated to support me made me feel like I was making the right decision in pursuing a career in art.

Madeleine, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I received my bachelor’s in fine art from the School of the Art Institute in 2017. There, I wasn’t forced to choose a discipline and was able to bounce between mediums. I had begun school in the fashion department and quickly realized that my favorite part of designing was making the preliminary drawings. When I decided that fashion wasn’t quite right for me, I bounced through the school until I found myself focused on painting and drawing. I come from a long line of artists and art lovers. Choosing to make art for a living wasn’t a decision that came with much friction from the people around me. It was after graduating with my BFA that I realized I needed to decide on which area of art to focus on. Between 2017-2023 I worked full time and painted in all my free time. I would draw while watching movies at home every night and dream about being back in my studio while I was at work. I have always been proud of my commitment to myself in terms of work ethic. If I tell myself I’m going to go to the studio I always go, if not I feel like I’m doing myself a disservice. I follow the threads that my brain feeds me, constantly flipping chapters in terms of the content of my work. Every few years I can see the paintings shift and it keeps me engaged and excited about my work. I am now getting my masters in painting at Virginia Commonwealth University. This was a big step in my commitment to painting and allowing myself to take it to the next level. I make work because I can’t wait to see a lifetime of painting looks like for me.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

It makes me sad to divide the world into creatives and non-creatives. I truly and honestly believe that every single human on earth can create something amazing. Choosing to pursue art was a decision for me. Technical skill in terms of painting and drawing is a learned skill and beyond technique, there is so much beauty in the imperfect things that we do every day. I’m currently teaching a drawing course for non-art majors and many of the students who came up to me at the beginning of the semester with anxieties around art making, are making incredible drawings after only a few weeks. Giving yourself permission to do something even when you don’t think you’re good at it is the only way to ever discover what you’re capable of.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My goal in my painting and drawing practice is to be authentic in everything I do. It is important to me to see things through and to challenge myself so that I can keep chipping away at the ideas in my head. I want to continue to be nerdy about the things I love, unapologetically. The art world is a competitive place and choosing to be an artist is a difficult life, it is so easy to get jealous and jaded (trust me I’ve been there). I want to continue to choose to be kind member of the artist community which has treated me with so much love and respect in my last 10 years as an artist.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: madeleineleplae