Today we’d like to introduce you to Madeleine Walton.
Madeleine, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
The visual arts have fascinated me for as long as I can remember. My own explorations began with questionable drawings of oceans and trees, in addition to finger paintings of Xs and Os in an assortment of colors with my dad. However, my passion for porcelain developed when I found myself constantly creating new ideas and implementing them into my works, a passion I never quite developed in my drawing years. For this, I have to thank numerous supportive and influential teachers, most notably my grandmother – a former ceramicist.
Presently, my artistry has opened the doors to a larger market with my business, Purely Porcelain. Purely Porcelain has grown to incorporate a plethora of fine art and unique objects, with works finding homes around the globe, a really exciting accomplishment. Most studio days involve producing new work and interacting directly with clients. Oftentimes, I’m working with clients to envision, render, and ultimately create a perfectly unique work of fine art for their space. I enjoy embodying the collector and their space into each piece, a trait that often sets me apart and allows my work to transcend across many design styles. On my days out of the studio, I’m often absorbing inspiration from nature and my travels. I love adding subtle nuances to my current body of work or being so inspired to create an entirely new line of work.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Earning a full-time living as an artist can prove to be as futile as it is fulfilling, especially when your profession is an expression of your soul. The creative path is rarely linear; therefore, there have certainly been challenges to overcome from the beginning.
For starters, there is a business beyond the creative, one that goes hand in hand with driving my own success. With that being said, beyond the creative side, I lend myself to being a bit more Type A, which allows me to plan, pull from past experiences, and pivot to prioritizing the investment in myself. In the beginning, aspiration drives a lot of the day-to-day, but shifting from concept to reality just does not equate. Meaning from day one, I had to be fluid in moving from role to role because I wasn’t just an artist, but I was also the sales team, marketing guru, socials manager, accountant, studio manager, and IT department rolled into one. Being all these things occasionally suppressed my creative exploration, proving a bit futile. However, while strenuous and overwhelming at times, the truth is there is no replacement for experience, and having each of those experiences allowed me to grow – in my own professional capacity, as well as provide a foundation for understanding my business throughout. From those experiences and milestones, I’ve been able to hone in on my best assets and properly implement the right people around me to help with strategic growth, a very fulfilling aspect. In turn, I’ve been able to refine my own creative explorations and have since developed a deeper appreciation for each subsequent role – something I wish I had learned earlier. While looking back, my biggest risk was starting. Each milestone represents more opportunities to learn and grow, so I think investing time early and often on identifying what’s working or what’s not working is monumental to streamlining the process – something much easier said than done when it comes to evaluating a reflection of your soul.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Within my creative field, I’m drawn to three-dimensional works or mediums that allow for body and volume, more specifically, porcelain. My passion for porcelain and organic elements of nature, such as patterns, textures, hues, and the finer elements the earth has to offer, is evident across all my bodies of work. Fueling my curiosity to utilize such elements drove me to pull the purest form of clay Mother Earth has to offer, porcelain, a unique medium which requires patience and respect. With a medium that requires manipulation and 2200° temperatures for fortification, the results often produce a timeless transition between traditional and contemporary design.
This unique blend of styles often sets my work apart and allows my work to transcend across many design styles. I’m often working directly with clients to envision, render, and ultimately create a perfectly unique work of fine art for their space. Each project requires multiple iterations and refinement; it’s about finding harmony between artistic expression and meeting the desires of the client – a practice that has allowed my work to find homes across the globe. Ultimately, the results lend themselves to be presented as small adornments to full-scale wall installations but nonetheless leave a lasting statement of style and dynamic design.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Very rarely is the creative process linear, in fact, it’s often riddled with ambiguity and failure at each step. While it’s easy to get wrapped up in the final, polished product, the process is where everything happens – the experience, the growth, the modifications. The many layers that exist behind the surface that’s the process, that’s the culmination of trials, tribulations, and multiple iterations to yield a refined result, and it’s so overlooked because it’s not glamorous.
With that being said, enjoy the process and trust your intuition. Work through the uncertainty, make tough choices with confidence, and maintain clarity of the end goal throughout the process. It’s not about the hours it took to produce one work – that one work took years of experience and honing your skill to produce.
Contact Info:
- Website: purely-porcelain.com
- Instagram: purely_porcelain
Image Credits
The Scout Guide
Lexy Pierce Photo
Stephanie Bradshaw
Goldberg EF Studio
Whitney Forstner
Cherie Stein
Elena Jasic
