It's a big week at Well + Wonder this week! Our schedule is packed and we are gearing up for artist releases, new artist launches, and a trip to Texas for Round Top. The fun just won't stop! And today is especially fun as we are launching fifteen paintings from our newest artist Maggie Stickney and officially welcoming her into the Well + Wonder fold. Maggie grew up on Long Island and attended Massachusetts College of Art and Design where she earned a BFA in printmaking. She then moved to NYC and received her MA in Art Therapy from New York University. Maggie worked as an art educator for many years before moving south and currently lives in her husband's hometown of Fairhope, AL on Mobile Bay. Keep reading to learn all about Maggie and join us tomorrow at 10 am as we officially welcome her to Well + Wonder!
What is currently on your nightstand?
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow- which I just finished absolutely loved. Sooooooooo good. and Untangled - Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood -which is also very good, my oldest is 12.
Who is your biggest influence as an artist and why?
Biggest influence I’d say is color and light. It can be anything, but shadows and color really get me going.
Tell us about your childhood. What is the most memorable moment as a young person?
I grew up on eastern Long Island. We had a house in a tiny town called Sagaponack that my parents built when I was very young. We were surrounded by fields. And very close to the beach. When I was young it was mostly farms and fields. It was so beautiful. It was magical and has been the inspiration for many of my paintings.
If you could only have one supply in your art studio, what would it be and why?
Thick, heavy body paint. Lots and lots of it.
What is your favorite room in your house? Describe it.
My favorite room in our house is our sunroom/ den. It has the best light. Its essentially 3 walls of giant windows with a nice rug my mom brought back from Turkey a million years ago. A big white sofa and lots of books. The room overlooks our backyard which has a ton of trees. Its the best spot to sit and read or drink you coffee in the morning.
What is your biggest score online?
Biggest score? Hmmm. Prob most of them would be related to my kids. I feel like everything is about them. Ha. I guess most recently buying Nike Air Force Ones for my 12 year old on Poshmark that were virtually brand new for 40.00. That was really fun.
What is the benefit of buying art through a collective? What do you recommend for those that are new to buying original art?
Variety- you can buy art for your entire home in one place. You want variety when adding art to your home. Think of your home as a mini gallery. You want lots of variation in medium, scale, color, and subject. At least I do.
If you have the entire day to spend in an art museum, which one and why?
Maybe the Picasso Museum in Paris? I haven’t been to that one and I think it would be fun and then I could get some delicious food after. Ha. Always thinking about food. But really I’m not picky. I love museums. The Whitney is ones of my faves, and the Tate Modern.
What is your favorite hotel and what makes it special?
Favorite hotel. Hmmm. Ok, I much prefer renting houses to hotel rooms. Hotels are fine, but living in a house is more my style. Its like you can really pretend you are living there. We rented a beautiful house in the Irish Channel once in New Orleans for a wedding and it was just amazing. Beautifully decorated, and great location.
If you were a lipstick color would you be red, pink, or clear and why?
Coral lip stain maybe?? Its my favorite color and stains last longer hahahah.
I can never get on a plane without….
Headphones and a sketchbook and pens.
How did you get into the world of art?
Well, I attended a really wonderful elementary school - The Waldorf School of Garden City. It was a long time ago, way before Waldorf was cool. Most hadn’t heard of it. Anyway, I started attending when I was in the kindergarten and I would say it influenced me a great deal. If you don’t know Waldorf education puts a huge emphasis on creativity, imagination, and nature. It was such a beautiful school. Pure magic.
What do you do to relax?
Painting relaxes me and drawing and listening to music. And watching a show with my husband after we put all the kids to bed. We like lots of different shows, but our go to is Bobs Burgers. Its a good one and always makes us laugh, which is really really important.
When do you get the biggest surge of inspiration?
Hmmmm biggest surge of inspiration? Hmmmm.
I suppose light inspires me. Good light is everything.
Prediction for the Color of 2024?
Mauve maybe? Like the weird dirty pinky purple that’s in a lot of my paintings. I love it.
What is your idea of a date night? Dinner and a movie or dancing all night?
Ohhh. I love eating delicious food. Oh and going to see a music show. I used to love going to shows. Not many of our faves play in Mobile though. We did get to see Cherry Glazer and Jenny Lewis in Mobile a few years ago. Indie rock bands need to add Mobile to their circuit! Please and thank you. One night after a nice dinner we rented those electric scooters and had the best time scooting around the city of Mobile and taking cool photos. I love night scenes. I’ve been really into painting different kids of light and night scenes are really really fun for me.
Tell us about your favorite painting that you have created.
I think every painting I’ve ever made was at one point a favorite. Right? Hmmm. This is really hard question. It changes as we change. Hmmmmm. Right now I'm really loving this: Its of a spot where I grew up on eastern Long Island.
I also really like this interior I painted here I think my light obsessions really obvious here.
One piece of advice for buying original art?
You can never have too much art. Never. Buy what you love and it will make you happy and make your home sing. I believe that original art is what makes peoples homes truly beautiful.
