Welcome Maddie Cratch to Well + Wonder! Y’all know we love an artist intro so thank you for indulging us with this exciting one launching Thursday at 10 am! Maddie is a lover of color, texture and funk. She began collage and multidimensional art out of an admiration for all the inspiring wallpaper designs she received when attempting to decorate their home. She could not let her leftover wallpaper samples go to waste, so she began to repurpose them to recreate unique, joyful, fun collages. Maddie enjoyed all mediums of art growing up, but after finding her passion for collage she has reduced her hours as a speech language pathologist in order to stay at home with her children and to pursue her passion as an artist. Maddie is originally from Charlotte, NC, but now resides in Greensboro, NC with her husband (Robert), dog (Ellie) and three children (Lucy, Carson and Luke). Until Thursday, everyone. We can't wait to share her work with you!
What is currently on your nightstand?
Baby Monitor
Who is your biggest influence as an artist and why?
Clover Robin. I love her playful use of collage to capture everyday life.
Tell us about your childhood. What is the most memorable moment as a young person? In the summer my twin sister and I would visit our extended family in Eastern NC. My parents are high school sweethearts from a small town, but we grew up in Charlotte NC. I enjoyed the simple life of country living and spending quality time with family, picking blueberries from my grandparents yard, making pound cakes with my meme and endless outdoor adventures with cousins.
If you could only have one supply in your art studio, what would it be and why?
Scissors. Mine are hair cutting scissors I bought to cut my children’s hair…It did not go well. So now I stay in my talent lane and create art with them. You never know what the cut will lead to!
What is your favorite room in your house? Describe it.
The Kitchen. This is the only room we have decoded. It has navy walls, funky chartreuse light fixtures from Stray Dog, doodled silhouettes for all three kids, 1st piece of commissioned art of our first home’s backyard and of course children’s art taped on all the cabinets. This is truly the heart of our home and where most of our dance parties occur.
What is your biggest score online?
Bought a mini bounce house for the kids on prime sale.
What is the benefit of buying art through a collective? What do you recommend for those that are new to buying original art?
A collective is a trusted source of similar styles, if you like one artist you are likely to like other artist they represent. They do all the research for you on trending southern artist in a one stop shop.
If you have the entire day to spend in an art museum, which one and why?
The MET. Its endless inspirations of generations on generations of art makes me feel this life is limitless in what we can experience!
What is your favorite hotel and what makes it special?
Antica Torre di Via Tornabuoni 1 in Florence, Italy.
I was beyond lucky to study abroad my junior year of undergraduate school in Florence, Italy. My life and perspectives grew in a way I could not imagine, from the culture I was able to partake in, the painting classes I took and the people I met. My collage sweetheart (now husband and father to our three kids) and I went to Florence for an Italian friend’s wedding 4 years later. We stayed in this hotel which over looked the Arno river and the same bridge I would cross every day to walk to and from class when I lived here. I was able to share this second home with the love of my life and revisit memories that helped shaped me into who I am today!
If you were a lipstick color would you be red, pink, or clear and why?
Chapstick!
I can never get on a plane without….
Something to cover my legs, I am always cold and normally pass out as soon as it takes off (if I am not with my kids.)
How did you get into the world of art?
My sister and I took art classes from a lady named Mrs. Saunders once a week after school mainly focusing on color pencil medium and listening to hot 90s hits. I loved the worlds you could create with just a pencil.
What do you do to relax?
Collaging/painting listening to music. My current favorite to listen too while in doing art is “Planet Taylor Swift and Friends” on Tune In…. It is a German station with songs played in English and I feel like I am transported aboard listening to the foreign language commentary, while still in my laundry room studio!
When do you get the biggest surge of inspiration?
In the beginning of a collection after I am 1/2 way through my 1st piece, then the majority of the ideas come for the next pieces!
Prediction for the Color of 2025?
Something deep and rich, maybe an retro orange.
What is your idea of a date night? Dinner and a movie or dancing all night?
We hardly ever go out with three young kids. Honestly my favorite is Friday night, we play with the kids (outside if we can) and order take out from our favorite spot (we have a standing order) and find a movie to snuggle up together.
Tell us about your favorite painting that you have created.
I created a Birth Month Flower arrangement ( hint: a new series to come ;) ) for one of my oldest childhood friends. Collaborating with her and her sweet family to make something special in their home that they will all cherish for a lifetime, was true magic!
One piece of advice for buying original art?
Buy what brings you joy, speaks to you and you keep coming back to it in your mind. If it gives you a feeling/connection hold on it, it will help build the story of your home one piece at a time.
