Today we’d like to introduce you to Madeline Field
Hi Madeline, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Even as a little girl, I knew in my soul that I loved to draw. I would draw everything and anything. People, plants, animals, you name it. My favorite medium was color though. I loved my Crayola markers the most. I had a lot of encouragement from my parents and peers. I think they could tell I had a natural love for creating art and everyone was always very supportive of me. Being able to elicit an emotional reaction from people around me from the things I was creating was one of the few times I felt like I was serving a real purpose. I really felt like I belonged. My mom works as a computer programmer at SIUE and encouraged me to take some summer art classes as a kid. I loved those summers I spent drawing and meeting all these new people on campus. My future felt bright and I knew I wanted to pursue art.
As I got older I went through some hard times dealing with mental illness and I really struggled in high school with substance abuse. As you know that never makes anything any easier. Art was always there for me though. I had an amazing high school art teacher that really pushed me to be a better human and grow up a bit. Shout out to Mrs. Wander at Highland High school. She’s a very passionate woman who knows her stuff. A lot of those teachers there shaped me into who I am today, and got me through a very rough time in my life. Art became more of an emotional outlet for me at this point. It truly was the only reason I kept my sanity.
After I graduated I started working at Wal Mart feeling kind of directionless. Not really sure what I wanted to do with my life. I made a little extra money on the side by doing portraits in chalk pastel. I really enjoyed doing those and the chalk was such a fun medium to work with. I was heavily inspired by Degas and Van Gogh.
Covid happened and as a retail worker you can imagine the kind of mental toll it took on me. I was still drawing and painting though, just trying to survive. This was around the time I made the conscious decision I wanted to go back to school. I knew I had more to learn about art. A 9-5 was not going to cut it for me. I was going to put my soul into art or it was nothing.
I enrolled at SWIC in Belleville where I am still currently attempting to get my associates degree in Fine Art. Huge shout out to Professor Corey Sellers, and really all of the staff at SWIC. I could go on forever about all the professors that I met that guided me forward in this life. SWIC is genuinely such a good school filled with a lot of passionate people. Especially the art department.
After the pandemic craziness died down I started getting tattooed and I really fell in love with it. I thought it was amazing that I could put permanent art on my body forever. I got a few pieces done by Clark Medly at Inkwell. Everyone there did an amazing job at making me feel safe and collaborating with me about the artwork I wanted done.
Then my friend Kenzie Krenning started her tattoo journey in 2021. I got some work done by her at this time. Her story and her art style really resonated with me. I was still focused on finishing school still at this point though.
However, in 2023 I got offered a beginning. My girl Kenzie called me up and asked if I wanted to apprentice under her. She was opening up Howlite Tattoo Studio in Bethalto and saw my potential as an artist. I knew this was my chance to make my dreams my reality. I could start my journey as a tattoo artist while also getting to work under someone I really looked up to.
Ever since then I’ve been tattooing at Howlite with her.
I get to work with these amazing women every day and Aaron Krenning of course. I get to meet so many amazing people from all walks of life and help them tell their story when I tattoo them. It’s a really intimate and sacred thing to tattoo someone you know. I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I’m really excited to see where we all grow from here. I’m truly blessed to be able to do this every day.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I won’t lie it hasn’t always been the easiest advocating for myself and my dreams. Especially when I’m in a career field that gets looked down upon a lot in society. Combine that with me also having to battle my mental health. I got taken advantage of a couple times.
I spent a lot of nights picking myself up off the ground even when I really didn’t want to go on. I still struggle. I have an amazing team behind me though. I have my family and I have my friends to lift me up when I need it. Also my cat Marceline, I don’t know what I would do without her.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I know I’m still considered a baby in the tattoo world but art comes so naturally to me. Like breathing. This year specifically I’m looking to do more color tattoos. I’m still finding out what style I really like but I think I’m more interested in developing something that’s unique to me. I still want to pay homage to the styles and cultures that shaped this industry into what it is today.
Another thing that’s really important to me that I want to see more of in this industry is empathy. I want to put beautiful artwork on people while at the same time make them feel safe and comfortable. This isn’t about the money for me. I want to heal people with my art the way it has helped me get through this life. I just want to have fun with it.
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
Some of my favorite childhood memories were spent up in Ontario, Canada. My great grandmother had a cabin that she passed down into the family and it is so beautiful there. The woman who owned the house next to us was named Phyllis. She was an amazing painter, she really inspired me too. I still have a few of her paintings now. She’s since passed away but I’ll never forget her kindness. She taught me a lot about life. I miss her every day.
Pricing:
- $100 hourly rate
- Email or DM for booking
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/maddiemalachite
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madditude_art/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/erWtcTcLcN6Fk89P/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Other: https://www.facebook.com/share/WdZj8QkuqmrVVkKA/?mibextid=wwXIfr
