Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sean Madden. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Sean , thanks for joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I am the product of artists. My mother was an oil painter and instructor. And, while my father was career military, he was an accomplished sculptor and woodworker, as well as a talented painter.
Growing up in this environment, I absorbed certain qualities that many people go to school for years to learn. From color theory to mounting canvases in frames, it was just embedded in me.
Despite all of this, I chose a different path for most of my life. Music. And, of course, my parents eagerly supported this, encouraging me in my studies as a classical pianist and guitarist.
Of course, as is often the case, life happened. Adulthood. Marriage. Responsibility. My professional pursuits became more practical and I became involved in the furniture restoration business. And, while I had never abandoned my artistic background entirely, I had become complacent in where my life had led me.
This all changed in early 2019 with the passing of my mother. And, suddenly, the urge to paint again became impossible to ignore. One day, on a whim, I stopped by the art department at Walmart, bought a few discount canvases and some beginner grade acrylics, and started to paint again. It was like I had never stopped.
Since then, I have become a rather successful semi-professional. Aside from commissioned work hanging in homes and businesses around the country, I have developed a decent reputation around the state of South Carolina and regularly have my work on display in galleries and competitions throughout the area.
My latest passion and pursuit has been documenting, through my art, the history of my hometown of Irmo, South Carolina, a small town born from the railroad era of the late 19th century. This has recently received the notice of local government and the offers of grants for the creation and development of public art projects for the community.
It’s been a rather sudden, fast ride. But I know that this has become my fate. A gift from God, my parents and my community family.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My love of history, writing, and my hometown as led me down the artistic path that I am on. It probably started one day a few years ago when I saw an old building that was slated for demolition. It had been there as long as I could remember and it saddened me a bit. So. I snapped a picture of it the day before they tore it down and painted it and wrote a short bio of it.
While this was intended as a personal project, it attracted the attention of numerous people throughout the community, including government officials. And I would subsequently donate it to Town Hall, where it still hangs today.
Since then, I have painted a number of local landmarks, old buildings and businesses which have become popular fare. In fact, they rarely last on social media for more than a few hours before they sell to some other nostalgic such as myself.
This has recently gotten me involved with a local commercial real estate developer and partners with the same passion for the history of the community and art. Public art in particular.
The creation of a subcommittee for the creation of public art projects was not what I saw myself a part of even a year ago, yet here I am.
Currently, I am in the design phase of my first mural in town. A representation of the railroad history of the area. We are also in discussions about the creation of other murals in cooperation with the local high school and it’s art students as well as the commission and installation of various sculptures in a number of public areas, the end goal being an art walk for the community and it’s visitors.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Social media was highly integral to the launching of my art career. It really just began with my wife posting my first painting on Facebook on a whim. This incited a large, unexpected response. And after numerous messages from both friends and strangers, I was encouraged to continue. Which, subsequently led to thousands of dollars in commission work.
If I had one piece of advice to building a social media presence, it would be to give your audience something to connect them with your art. I typically include some kind of story, be it prose or poetry, to draw them in. Giving them another reason to pay attention to you and your work.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

The initial “goal” of my creative journey was personal. Perhaps selfish? To, quite simply, begin a career pursuing something I loved. Without the constraints of a “job.”
However, I feel like my goals are changing by the day. Obviously, obtaining exposure for myself and developing a client base is paramount, I feel that the pursuit of teaching will be in my future, shortly.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Sean Madden Artist
• Facebook: Sean Madden and Sean Madden Arts
• Other: Email: [email protected]

  Phone: 8039316100