About Maddie
Madrigal “Maddie” Stansell is a contemporary artist based in Lone Tree, Colorado. Her artistic journey began with a formal education in studio art at Northern Arizona University. This foundational training was further enriched by two years of full-time workshops and mentorships with her art idols, who have helped shape her into the artist she is today.
Stansell’s work is characterized by a deep-seated passion for storytelling and an unwavering commitment to capturing the complexities of life. Her oeuvre, primarily realized through oil paint and charcoal, reflects a unique synthesis of time-honored techniques and modern sensibilities. By blending the methodologies of the old masters with contemporary materials and narratives, she creates evocative and expressive pieces that resonate with emotional depth and technical precision.
A hallmark of Stansell’s artistry is her innovative use of materials. She frequently experiments with unconventional techniques, such as incorporating embroidery on paper and carving into her paintings, to add textural and dimensional elements to her work. This experimental spirit allows her to push the boundaries of traditional media and engage viewers in a dialogue about the intersections of art, materiality, and narrative.
Through her distinctive combination of classical training and modern experimentation, Maddie continues to contribute a compelling and innovative voice to the contemporary art scene. Her work invites viewers to explore the rich tapestry of human experience, rendered with both historical reverence and contemporary relevance.
Maddie is also the creator of Art unBlocks, a game designed to help artists create more art and try new subjects and mediums. She sells them at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Denver, the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, and at all Meow Wolf locations nationwide.
Finally, Maddie sits on the board of Tri Arts Project and was an integral part of the team that founded Castle Rock’s first art center.
Exhibitions
Solo Exhibitions
// 2022, “Myths and Old Magick,” Blue Tile Gallery
Group Exhibitions
// 2024, LAA National Fine Art Show, Louisville, CO
// 2024, Inspiration at Cantril, Castle Rock, CO
// 2024, Curtis Center, All Colorado Show, GWV, CO
// 2023, Dairy Arts Center, Portrait Exhibition, Boulder, CO
// 2023, Center for Contemporary Arts National Exhibition, Abilene, TX
// 2023, LAA National Fine Art Show, Louisville, CO
// 2023, EDGE Gallery, “ON EDGE”, Denver, CO
// 2023, Core New Art Space, “Once Upon a Time”, Denver, CO
// 2023, Shockboxx Gallery “Not! An Art Fair”, Hermosa Beach, CA
// 2022, SPACE Annex “RISE”, Denver, CO
// 2022, Schoolhouse Gallery “What I Love”, Parker, CO
// 2021, Core New Art Space “Beyond the Surface”, Denver, CO
// 2020, DAB Art Gallery “Art in the Time of Corona” Global Exhibition (Exhibition Here)
Awards
// 2024, 2nd Place – LAA National Fine Art Show
// 2023, Artistic Achievement Award – LAA National Fine Art Show
// 2020, 1st Place, Art and Photography – From Whispers to Roars
Education & Memberships
Education, Workshops, and Mentorships
// Northern Arizona University – Studio Art – 2009
// Pushing Colored Dirt – 2021
// Mentorship with Angel Ramos – 2022
// Workshop with Tracey Russell – 2022
// Mentorship with Julian Tejera – 2022 – 2023
// Nicolas Uribe Workshops – January – April 2023
// Mentorship with Carrie Stanley – 2023
// Misha Gollo Workshop – 2023
// Amy Dury Workshop – 2023
// Jennifer Pochinski Workshop – 2023
Memberships
// Board of Directors, Tri Arts Project, 2023 – Present
// Board of Directors, Women’s Caucus for the Arts Colorado, 2021-2022
// Member, Parker Arts Guild
// Member, Boulder Arts Association
Publications
// 2022, ShoutOut Colorado, Meet Maddie Stansell (Read Here)
// 2022, Voyage Denver, Inspiring People
// 2021, Create! Magazine, Art Queens Member Feature Here
// 2020, From Whispers to Roars, Best in Category, Volume 3, Issue 1: 2020
Artist Statement
In 1995, the family Labrador, Greta, escaped and got lost in the middle of a massive snowstorm. I made flyers and looked for nearly three weeks and finally found her—warm and happy at a home about two miles away. The son, a young boy who was on the autism spectrum, had bonded with Greta. Although he had been completely nonverbal, he was speaking to Greta and was opening up to the family in ways his mother had never seen. I was only nine at the time, but it left a huge impression on me. Over the next 6 years, I found myself, too, turning to animals. However, for me it was to cope with an increasingly abusive and traumatic childhood. Animals gave me a sense of purpose and an understanding of unconditional love.
In my new series, “Animal Nature,” I explore this special dynamic between humans and animals through the ages. Each painting tells a story of connection—the direct connection we have with our pets, the connection animals give us to nature, and the connections they can help us forge with each other. I start with a combination of found photos, my personal family photographs, and photos I take to tell a specific story. I use color as a tool for communicating emotion and give each painting its own, unique palette. I discovered that my approach needed to be loose and playful. Although most works in this series are painted with oils, I also play with spray paint, charcoal, and a variety of mediums to build texture. I want a physical representation of the complexity of humanity and choose to do that by painting many layers. I don’t overly blend my work; instead, I love to paint with thick, decisive brushstrokes that tell their own story on the canvas.
A young Maddie with her cat, Falcore
