about  Madeleine

Her Story

Madeleine was born in Bonnyville Alberta in 1948 and lived most of her life in the northern part of the province.  For the last 40 years of her life, she lived at Wabamun Lake and loved creating from her studio that overlooked the lake. 

From a very early age art has been a focal point of Madeleine’s life. She was largely self-taught, and she experimented with many mediums. She started with oils and watercolours early in her career. And for many years, her favourite medium was fabric for the richness and depth it brought to her work. Later on, she used acrylics and experimented with acrylic gouache on board for her Fun Fur Series.  

Madeleine was incredibly prolific and her subjects were diverse.  She loved to travel, and took inspiration from the places she visited. She was inspired by the beautiful prairies, the rocky mountains, the BC West Coast,  the East Coast of Nova Scotia, and Mexico. She also took inspiration from her love of animals for her Fun Fur and Animal series.  

Madeleine has exhibited in various group and solo shows throughout the province, winning awards for her bright, unique creations.   

Her creativity wasn’t just in painting.  She also loved the creative writing process and published her first novel “Keeper of the Crypt” in 2014.  

She was working on two other novels at the time of her death in December 2022.

In Madeleine’s own words: 

“I have always been attracted to art that has a “punch”, whether by use of contract, composition or colour.  My belief is that just as the imagination knows no bounds, art can never be taken to its limit.  Each piece should be a challenge and a learning process, containing a little bit of the artist to give it soul.  

Fabric poses that challenge for me, as well as satisfying my need for visual impact.  With the wealth of textures, colours and prints available today, the sky is the limit.  My goal is to add a little more beauty to the work in my own unique way.”