The Art and Musings of Tamara Natalie Madden

"Birds of a Feather" Giclees Available!

2012-01-25T15:35:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

Because of popular demand, I have created a new giclee series of four entitled, Birds of Paradise.

The first painting in the series is called Birds of a Feather. You can purchase it on canvas or on watercolor paper. Both prices are listed below.

More details are below:

Birds of a Feather / Limited Edition Giclee / Edition of 25 / Signed and numbered

27x18 on canvas (hand embellished) $600

or

27x18 inches printed on HaHneMuHle Watercolor Paper– 100% cotton rag fiber papers. $300

If you wish to purchase, you can purchase directly from this blog, or you can contact the artist directly @ info@tamaranataliemadden.com for purchasing details.

Thank you!

Endings=New Beginnings!

2011-12-31T16:21:00.001-08:00

It's the end of 2011, and I had so many plans this year. Some, I was able to accomplish, others, well... I have to say that I've learned a lot, about my own strength and persistence. My passion for creating is even more intensified, and I can greet struggle and disappointments with confidence--knowing that good things will come from all of it!

I have shows already lining up for the New Year, and I've had some very successful shows this year, including my solo at Avisca! I am so honoured that I was able to show my work there. I've come leaps and bounds from where I was, creatively, 7 years ago.

I have NEW inspired art coming for 2012! I'm so excited to create. I have another solo show coming in the spring, and I'll divulge all details later. In the meantime, I wanted to share with you some of my collage series. These are very small collages, that I thoroughly enjoy creating. I've been creating them on and off for years, but decided to play with them in a different way.

I'll be posting the rest on my website soon...in the meantime, enjoy!

Please follow me on Facebook!

Have a Splendid New Year!

Nina-I shall be released

2011-10-24T23:20:00.000-07:00

BLACKFACE: A SERIES

2011-10-21T15:42:00.000-07:00

Commentary on my new series BLACKFACE.

For years we've seen negative imagery of people painting themselves in horrific blackface, to mimic and mock the beauty of black skin. It's still going on to this day, and can be seen in ads around the world as some new fashion trend. It's an insulting trend. There are so many amazingly gorgeous black beauties that could be used in these ads instead.

Additionally, there is an epidemic in Jamaica, all across the Caribbean, in Africa, and India with skin bleaching. It's become an horrific trend to see people bleaching their gorgeous dark skin to become a shade that is lighter, all while poisoning themselves and risking cancer.

This new series celebrates the real black faces, of women, men and children. I wanted to focus on our lovely features: full noses and voluptuous lips. It's a celebration of black, and although black comes in many shades, I chose to use the medium of charcoal to create these pieces. I wanted to express this sense of 'blackness' in a more monochromatic manner.

More to come soon!

Enjoy!

Full Circle: Solo Exhibition by Tamara Natalie Madden at Avisca Fine Art Gallery

2011-09-27T23:16:00.000-07:00

Original press release can be found here: http://africanamericanartgallery.aviscafineart.com/

Full Circle: Solo Exhibition by Tamara Natalie Madden at Avisca Fine Art Gallery

Press Release

Jamaican-Born Atlanta Artist defies the odds to Celebrate 10 years of Art-Making

Tamara Natalie Madden: Full Circle
October 7-28, 2011
Opening Reception: Friday October 7, 6pm-9pm
Avisca Fine Art Gallery, 507 Roswell Street, Marietta, GA 30060
Marietta, GA (September 26, 2011) – Tamara Natalie Madden has a lot to celebrate. A solo exhibition to mark her ten years of art-making opens at Marietta, GA Avisca Fine Art Gallery. That is a remarkable achievement in itself, but more remarkable is her story of tragedy, triumph and an amazing twist of fate that got her to this milestone in her life. In 1997, at 22 years of age, Madden was diagnosed with a rare and incurable genetic kidney disease called IGA Nephropathy. Over the next few years she would watch her body deteriorate while she tried to maintain balance and sanity in the face of a brutal dialysis regimen and with all the toxins that were collecting in her body.
At age 13, Madden had moved to the U.S. from her native Jamaica where her childhood was humble but filled with memorable childhood experiences, the love and guidance of family and teachers, and dreams of becoming an artist. Over the next few years she created art sporadically but after her diagnosis, in what may be a silver lining, she turned most of her time, attention and passion to art-making as therapy.
In 2000, Madden took a trip to Jamaica to reunite with family and with hopes of finding a half-brother that she had never met. She had no idea that the trip would save her life. On learning of her condition, her brother offered to give her one of his kidneys. The amazing offer was consummated in 2001 with Madden undergoing a successful kidney transplant. That year she participated in her first art exhibition, making good on the determination that she had made long ago to become a professional fine artist.
Her art and her career have both grown meteorically since that first exhibition. Today her work can be found in collections such as Vanderbilt University in Tennessee and Alverno College in Wisconsin. She has exhibited in a number of group and solo exhibitions in the United States and Canada. She was a recipient of an individual grant from the Puffin Foundation for her project, “Never Forgotten”, which focused on combating poverty worldwide; and her work has been featured in publications including the New York Times, the Jamaican Gleaner and Upscale magazine.
Tamara Madden’s work reveals a fascination with people, usually ordinary, everyday people who, in her portrayal, appear as royalty, nobility, or somehow above the fray of quotidian life, even as they engage in activities that root them in their environment. Perhaps it was the life-saving act of charity and the love and nurturing of family and friends that have shaped her world view in which people are inherently good, divine, ethereal and noble. At the same time, her work also often voices larger social concerns and she is not afraid to use her subjects to turn a spotlight on issues such as poverty, class, status and racism.
Her solo exhibition, “Full Circle” is Madden’s loving paean to the people, places and experiences that have informed and inspired her over ten years of art-making. The exhibition opens with a reception on Friday, October 7, 6-9 PM and runs through October 28. The exhibition and reception are free and open to the public.
Exhibition Dates: October 7-28, 2011
Opening Reception: Friday, October 7, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm (Free and open to the public)
Venue: Avisca Fine Art Gallery, 507 Roswell Street, Marietta, GA 30060.
Gallery Hours: Thursday – Saturday 12 pm – 6 pm, and by Appointment
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Self portrait of the artist Tamara Natalie Madden (L) from her first passport photograph as a U.S.- bound pre-teen and the artist today (R)

Full Circle - A solo exhibition of new works by artist Tamara Natalie Madden.

2011-09-12T14:28:00.000-07:00

CLICK HERE FOR DRIVING DIRECTIONS AND MORE INFORMATION!

Full Circle – A solo exhibition of works by Tamara Natalie Madden

10 years ago I participated in my very first art exhibition. From the very beginning, my work was about giving a voice to those who are overlooked. Many of my paintings were classified as ‘folk art’, but I wanted the work, and the people who were being painted, to be viewed as royals. The emergence of the new series gave voice to these individuals in a distinctive manner, heightening them through fantastical headdresses and uniquely collaged garb.

Full Circle is essentially a fusion of the two styles. It is a my way of delving into my beginnings as an artist to bring light to the things that inspire my art the most—the people, and their experiences. It serves as a way for me to evoke memories of my childhood in Jamaica, while highlighting the very people who inspired me to become the artist that I am. Some paintings focus on strictly conceptual ideas of seeing everyday items as symbols of royalty, while others deal with the mystique of memory. Each painting is my unique perspective about a thing, a moment, or an experience that I have experienced in reality or in theory.

The pieces are created using a variety of material. Some more traditional materials include canvases, while others include found objects, again fusing elements of folk art with more traditional elements of fine art.

- Tamara Natalie Madden

Quotes of the Week-Truth

2011-08-21T23:43:00.000-07:00

Seek the truth always.

"A liar begins with making falsehood appear like truth, and ends with making truth itself appear like falsehood." William Shenstone

_________________________________________________________________________

"Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do.
He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth,
because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it."
John 8:44

An article about my work written by Tiffany Nicole Slade for On-Verge

2011-08-06T14:23:00.000-07:00

Everyday Heroes: Behind the Art of Tamara Natalie Madden

Posted on August 4, 2011 by CUE

by Tiffany Nicole Slade

Goldilocks (2011) by Tamara Natalie Madden (30″ x 40″, acrylic and mixed media on canvas)

Ten years ago, contemporary painter Tamara Natalie Madden got a second chance at life. Since then, she has lived by the creed, “Create as much as you can, while you can.” That thinking has lent itself to a prolific body of work, as well as a Jane-of-all-trades approach to life since Madden is also a children’s book author and illustrator, a fine art photographer, a stylist and make-up artist, a master colorist, a vegetarian and health advocate, a blogger, a mom, and a kidney transplant survivor. She lives near Atlanta, but hails from a small, rural town in the parish of Manchester, Jamaica. It was there in Frankfield, high up in the mountainous bush, where the artist resided with her grandmother and others while her mother pursued a better life in America.
Though steeped in poverty, her early years were filled with the warmth of neighbors, family, and friends. By the time she began to pursue an art career in America as an adult, she was already deeply inspired by the Jamaican people who had surrounded her during her formative years. A precocious child, Madden loved reading books, climbing trees, and helping her beloved grandmother, “Mama,” who was always busy fetching water from the outdoor tank, building fires in the outdoor kitchen to cook meals, boiling water for bathing and washing clothes, and walking, mile after scorching mile, through the blinding white heat come dawn every Saturday morning on the grueling trek to church.
Money and resources were scant, but her grandmother was always generous in her care of family and others. Even under such dire circumstances, it was not unusual for her grandmother or others to take in children from families who were unable to care for them. That spirit of interconnectedness and survival left its mark on Madden and later came to influence her otherworldly portraits.
If one looks closely at the artist’s subjects, the faces of those townspeople might become evident. Most certainly, one will see extraordinary images of ordinary black folk. But what Madden has set out to do is pay homage in paint to the true heroes and heroines of our time.

Of Royal Lineage (2010) by Tamara Natalie Madden (48″ x 24″, acrylic and mixed media on canvas)

Positively influenced by a challenging but rewarding childhood, the artist paints to dignify the indigent. She wrote, “Amazing people surrounded me, including my grandmother, who despite her struggle with poverty and emotional strain, found it in her heart to give back, to care for and support her fellow man. The neighbors would share food, water, and their love for God. I always found that to be amazing, and I wanted the voices of those people to be heard.”

Rastaman Chant (2007) by Tamara Natalie Madden (30″ x 20″, acrylic and mixed media on canvas)

When Madden began to paint these ‘everyday’ people, it was not uncommon for her to dress her subjects in unremarkable clothing and to situate them in prosaic Jamaican settings—a woman with a baby in her arms, a man on a stoop with a machete, or even her grandmother with her dog.

Mama and Bringle (2007) by Tamara Natalie Madden (18″ x 24″, acrylic and mixed media on canvas)

Her interest in manipulating color and quilting were evident in early works, but her mastery of paint handling and style evolved quickly when she began to infuse her subjects with royalty. This was evidenced in the elaborate rendering of subjects’ skin, hand-stitched quilting of their stately garb, and intricate handling of gold-leaf crowns and regalia for each king and queen.

Sankofa (2008) by Tamara Natalie Madden (48″ x 24″, acrylic and mixed media on canvas)

Madden states: “Unfortunately, when I began to paint these people, they were not readily accepted, they were still overlooked. I decided to turn the same people into representations of royalty, clothing them in fantastical ornate outfits, and focusing on all that would attract viewers to pay attention to the beauty within.” Around that time, the artist was deeply moved by yet another everyday hero and it made her want, more than ever, to honor those who live unsung even as they save others’ and survive their own lives.
By then as the mother of a young child and stricken with a fullblown, life-threatening, genetic kidney disease, Madden felt that if she didn’t make a trip home to Jamaica soon, she might never get another chance. Additionally, her beloved grandmother was nearing the end of her life but helped the artist locate a long lost brother. In 2000 before beginning the dreaded dialysis treatments, Madden flew home to Jamaica for the first time since leaving as a child.
While there, she was serendipitously reacquainted with her brother who took one look at her and inquired about her condition. She explained her ashen skin, low weight, and lack of strength as well as the illness, the medications, and the side effects. Before the end of her trip, this brother with whom she who she had never communicated beyond a chance meeting as children, offered her his kidney, further churning the artist’s fascination with the fortitude of everyday people.
Back in the United States, Madden suffered the pain and indignity of dialysis, sketching and drawing to pass time and vowing to become a professional artist when she received her transplant. Several times per week, she sat, connected to multiple IVs and needles, watching all the blood drain from her body into machines, and then, through multiple tubes, back in, cleansed, while other patients mysteriously disappeared, one after another.
Fatigued but friendly with nurses and others, she struggled to maintain her sanity while coping with the reality of death all around her. A year after their reunion, the artist and her brother successfully underwent the kidney transplant surgeries. That same year, Madden also participated in her first art exhibition.

Mystic (2008) by Tamara Natalie Madden (36″ x 24″, acrylic and mixed media on canvas)

Today, Madden continues to elevate ordinary folk to royalty in her paintings. Adorned with mythological golden crowns, her subjects dazzle with nobility while situated in ethereal landscapes. Inspired by Gustav Klimt, Egyptian and West African royalty, the artist imbues her subjects with power through masterful portraiture and an adroit handling of color.

Paradise (2011) by Tamara Natalie Madden (30″ x 20″, acrylic and mixed media on canvas)

To see more work, visit tamaranataliemadden.com .

See the link here: http://www.on-verge.org/features/everyday-heroes-behind-the-art-of-tamara-natalie-madden-2/

A little story about why I paint birds!

2011-06-28T17:26:00.000-07:00

I've been asked often why I put birds in all of my paintings. Although I've discussed it often, I want to make it clear to all of those who support my work that there is purpose behind what I am doing.

When I was growing up as a child in Jamaica, we made a sport out of knocking birds out of the sky, or a tree with slingshots. I swear I was a boy back then, but as it turns out, I've always been a girl! :0) We did all kinds of things with birds, even ate them...so gross in retrospect. Maybe that's why I'm a vegetarian now. It wasn't until I started getting into my teenage years that I began to appreciate their true beauty, grace and freedom. I would watch them fly away and always wondered where they were going and if they got there.

In 2000, I started dialysis. Dialysis is for people who have End Stage Renal Disease. You have to go to a clinic or a hospital three times a week and sit in a chair for three to four hours while a machine pulls your blood out of you(via 7 gauge needles) cleans it, and then pumps it back it. Essentially it does what the kidney can no longer do, but it can never fully replace a kidney. There are a myriad of side effects, and then there is the feeling of being trapped...on a machine.

I was blessed by God. I didn't spend a lot of time on the machine (just under a year), but those were some of the most difficult times of my life. I encountered many personality types at the dialysis center. Some souls had given up, there was no joy left in their eyes, no hope, while others had become completely numb. One gentleman there had been on dialysis for nearly 20 years. His skin had gotten so tough that he injected himself with the 7 gauge needles. I always cringed. He said he never wanted a transplant because he felt that was what God wanted. I always told him that God wanted me to be free so that I could create.

When I was there, I always brought my sketchbook and my headphones. The sketchbook kept me busy, and kept my mind occupied, and the reggae music drowned out the screams that punctured the air. Pain from frequent leg cramps and a myriad of other things caused people to suffer, and I did my best to escape, despite.

Those were the days that I decided that I was going to be a true artist. The 'counselor' would always come around to talk to us. She would always ask me why I drew. I kept telling her of my goals, and even though I didn't have much then; I whipped out a business card that I printed on my computer. "Check out my website", I would say, I had created a generic one for free. I had to remain optimistic in the face of death, so when I received that blessed gift from my brother, that second chance, I decided that I wanted to fly.

I paint them because they are a true and personal representation of how I feel now. I feel limitless, not bounded by illness or fear. After I received my transplant, I started off running, and now I'm flying. Soon I will be able to soar.

image courtesy of GOOGLE

oh sweet creativity!

2011-06-28T14:03:00.000-07:00

I've been working, HARD...nonstop practically. I spend most of my time in the studio. Have you ever seen the tv show Heroes? The artist goes into a trance when he creates...well that's how I have been!:0)

I just thought I'd share some new images, and a few studio shots. Ok, ok no time to blog, gotta go and paint! lol!

I created some tiny pieces for my collectors. They are little gems that you can treasure. The ones below are 4"x4", and they are a nice way to begin collecting. :0) Visit my website to see more, but I'll continue to create these pieces for you all!

In addition to my mini pieces, I've created some larger images. Below are a few new pieces, please check www.tamaranataliemadden.com to see more. :0)

Art Galleries and Artists of the South

2011-06-12T05:14:00.000-07:00

Vexed by Tamara Natalie Madden, is featured with Acacia Gallery and Catherine Kelleghan Gallery of Buckhead in the recent edition of Art Galleries and Artists of the South.

McDonald's 365 Black Feature

2011-06-12T04:59:00.000-07:00

Exotic Beauties and Birds at the Catherine Kelleghan Gallery through June 2011

2011-06-07T17:21:00.000-07:00

Detail of piece by Tamara Natalie Madden

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Exotic Beauties and Birds

Presented by:
Catherine Kelleghan Gallery
Location:
Catherine Kelleghan Gallery
6/7/2011 – 6/30/2011
Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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Event Description

This exhibit features artwork by Tamara Natalie Madden. In addition to recently being featured in The New York Times, Madden's works are in the permanent collections of prestigious universities, including Vanderbilt University in Tennessee and Alverno College in Wisconsin. She is also a recent recipient of an individual grant from the Puffin Foundation for her project titled "Never Forgotten," which focuses on combating poverty worldwide.

Ticket Information

Admission is free

Venue Information

Catherine Kelleghan Gallery
309 East Paces Ferry Rd. NE
Suite 130 - Aaron Building
Atlanta, GA 30305
Phone: 404-841-2345

Quote of the Week

2011-04-08T10:48:00.000-07:00

“We are all sum totals of our experience, products of our environment, and divided by our ignorance.” -Samuel Adams

CCH Pounder Presents: Material World, Spiritual World

2011-03-22T03:56:00.000-07:00

Signs that help you know that you are on your path

2011-03-12T17:55:00.000-08:00

I can check off everything on this list, can you? Thanks to Beth Allen for writing this down the way you did. Sometimes even living it, and knowing it is not enough. It's great to see it written down.
__________________________________________________________________________________
1. Unexpected support begins to show up. You find that doors are opening where you never even knew doors existed.
2. You hunger for more knowledge on a particular subject. Just because you’re passionate, it doesn’t mean you’ll automatically be good at what you’re doing in the beginning. That doesn’t stop you. If it’s what you have to go through to follow and live your passions, you go for it full tilt! You trust that with experience and application you will become great.
3. Days are too short. To compensate, you begin staying up into the wee-hours of the morning working on your projects and plans. This pursuit gets much of your time, mentally and physically, and it becomes the fuel for the fire in your belly!
4. People are magnetically drawn to you, because when you speak you light up the whole room! Your passion is contagious, and people listen to what you have to say.
5. Anytime you are in the pursuit of a goal, you will be tested. Obstacles and roadblocks are inevitable. So is how you see them! A person in pursuit of their passion will see challenges as opportunities, where everyone else will see those same challenges as signs to call it quits. A passionate person understands that we do not succeed in spite of our obstacles and challenges, we succeed precisely because of them!
6. You are willing to do uncomfortable things, take chances and risk everything.
7. You have let go of fear and stepped into faith. You have an unshakable belief that you are on the path of your destiny, that you are doing your life’s work. Your faith will lead you exactly where you need to go. Remember, fear and faith cannot exist in the same space at the same time!
8. You do whatever needs to be done, with no expectation of recognition or reward. You are less focused on the result and more focused on the enjoyment of the work itself. As a result, well, results come easily!
9. You do not care what others think of your pursuit. You are independent, complete and living a truly inspired life.
10. You will lose interest in things that are not aligned with your top passions.

Desiderata

2011-03-08T05:26:00.001-08:00

-- written by Max Ehrmann in the 1920s --

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible, without surrender,
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even to the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons;
they are vexatious to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter,
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs,
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love,
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

A Time, A Season-A Visual Tribute to Oprah Winfrey

2011-02-04T06:31:00.000-08:00

I am honored to have my work chosen to cover the book, A Time, A Season-A Visual Tribute to Oprah Winfrey. Thank you Janelle, and Black Art in America for this amazing opportunity. Please click on the image to find out how to purchase a copy of this limited edition masterpiece. This book will be presented to Oprah Winfrey herself. I hope she loves it. The art inside is fascinating!

THE NEW WEBSITE!

2011-01-17T10:00:00.000-08:00

Wow! How could I forget to mention the launch of my new website? It's been so exciting. It was designed by Akada Studios here in Atlanta, and has a little touch of me in it! Please feel free to browse the site HERE.

The Evolution of Lauryn Hill

2011-01-15T10:55:00.000-08:00

Lauryn has clearly changed and evolved. I think change is often needed and anticipated, however when you decide to change the music that you are known for, and that your fans came to hear and enjoy live, it makes for an interesting show.

I went to see Lauryn perform last night at Center Stage in Atlanta, and unfortunately, I went in with expectations. While I enjoy live music, the techno and rock remixes of classic Lauryn Hill songs threw me off a bit, and clearly threw the audience off. After many of us waited restlessly for 3 hrs for her arrival--the first hour of the concert was...something to be desired! The crowd was giddy when she initially arrived and did a reggae song. That was nice. Then there was an hour of rock-n-rollesque remixes of her miseducation days. The crowd seemed perplexed, some sat down, others left, while others were busy texting and updating their twitter and facebook. It was interesting. It was almost as if she didn't want to remember those days so she remixed it so drastically that we wouldn't either.

She then revisited her Fugee days, and the Lauryn we all wanted to see finally arrived. Her flow was still amazing, her vocals fascinating and inspiring.

I was happy because I got a chance to really feel her for half an hour. I think the direction she went in with the techno could be fine if she had new music, but remixing the old songs in such a way didn't suit my taste. Others may have enjoyed it, but I watched the crowd, people didn't stand up and get happy and involved until the Lauryn we remembered came back. Anyhow, I will always love Lauryn. The truth is, her vocals and flow are incomparable. There is none like her.

The Inspired Artist

2011-01-05T05:07:00.000-08:00

My artistic growth is manifesting not just because I paint regularly, but because it is my destiny. There was a plan already set in motion for me before I was even aware of it. When I was 23, I sat and stared at a painting on my wall. My boyfriend at the time pointed out that I was no where near that talented, and suggested that I give up. Supportive, huh? Ten years later the artist that painted the piece is my friend, and he's telling me how talented I am! It brings tears to my eyes sometimes to think about how life comes full circle.

My art is meaningful, it comes from the heart. It is pure and authentic. I realize that many artists are inspired by one another, and I have been inspired by many, but there is a big difference between inspiration and imitation. I think we all have to find a way to be true to ourselves in our work. Copying someones work says a lot about who you are and where you are. Just be inspired. Be inspired to be better at doing you!
Ethereal Queen© 2008

Comments on!

2011-01-03T12:29:00.000-08:00

It was brought to my attention that my comments weren't working! Geez...silly me! I never paid attention! Please free to leave comments, I'd love to hear from you.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T20:27:00.000-08:00

It's the beginning of another wonderful journey! This year will be a fantastic year, filled with wonderful blessings and amazing encounters!

Watch out now!

Be Blessed, and pursue your passion fervor with zest!

The Last Post of 2010!

2010-12-31T15:38:00.000-08:00

This was a year of new vision, and new thought. It was a year of growth and understanding. I am grateful for all of my experiences, good and bad, and I look forward to 2011. I know that it will be an amazing year filled with amazing opportunities!

I'll be making every attempt to keep up with this blog. My new website will be launched in January so I'm super excited, and other wonderful opportunities are just around the corner!

Keep on creating!

~Happy New Year ~

"EZE", ©2010

Busy as a Bee!

2010-11-29T17:26:00.000-08:00

I know it seems like I'm doing nothing these days, like I've given up on my artistic dreams, but actually, I've been painting like a maniac!

I have wonderful things to share, but I have to wait a bit. I can tell you that I'm finally getting my website redone! Whoopeeee!!

I'm really looking forward to 2011! It will be a fantastic year! Also, I have new, new, new art coming for the new year! Yes!

This is just the beginning! :0)

Toodles!

Ugh! Racism-Alive and Well!

2010-11-29T17:08:00.000-08:00

I went into my local Hobby Lobby today. I'm strange, I enjoy perusing craft stores. :0) I don't particularly like this store because of the behaviors of some of their employees, but it's nearby, and I can get what I need from time to time.

At the checkout; I was a bit perturbed by the fact that the cashier closed the register while I was right in front of her without saying a word, or apologizing or her inconsiderate behavior...but, I let it go. ~wooooosaaaaaah~ (practicing meditation)

I lived in the north before coming to the south, and it's not peachy keen either. I was lucky enough to have my first experience of being called a 'nigger' in Milwaukee while standing at the bus stop. I looked around for awhile, wondering if they were talking to me, but since I was the only one there, I figured so. ~sigh~ I never knew racism until I came to America. I really did think that people thought that we were all equal! That was my childhood naivete.

I have gotten used to the South, and the fake smiles, and strange stares. As a matter of fact, I think I've been followed around in more stores here than I have up north. I usually end up snapping on somebody because, as nice as I am, I don't like anyone invading my space.

It has been a while though since I've seen blatant racism. The last time was at an Ulta in my town (which I boycotted for nearly 2 years, all by my lonesome). Oooh! {insert angry smiley face}
They offered me gifts, but I refused! No gifts could make up for that nonsense. I won't go further into detail.

Today, as I was checking out, three teenagers walked into the store. Mind you, just before them several other teenagers of the Caucasion persuasion had walked in with backbacks, and bags in tow. Now these young men, enter the store, and they all happen to be of the Afro-American persuasion. The cashier immediately stops them, while everyone is looking, and tells them that they cannot enter the store with their bags--that they must be removed and placed somewhere else. What!!?
Aaah, that's not policy! Didn't I just see Becky with her backpack!?

Damn prejudice folk! Ticked me off. It seemed like the kids didn't even know that what was happening to them was not supposed to happen. You are not a criminal because you are black! You a not a thief because you carry a backpack into a store. What is that teaching our kids? That they deserve to be treated like suspects!?

Hobby Lobby--you suck! You are officially being boycotted! Maybe this time I can get some other folk on board!

Who is with me!? :0) ~yeaaa------a!

2010-11-12T10:10:00.000-08:00

Photography by artist Tamara Natalie Madden. Please visit my site HERE to view more work. Styling, makeup, hair, and concept by TNM Photography.©

THE BLACK QUEEN

2010-11-12T09:31:00.000-08:00

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

2010-09-16T03:51:00.000-07:00

"There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you."
—Maya Angelou

image © tnm photography 2010

Black Art in America

2010-09-15T13:00:00.000-07:00

A wonderful site put together by Najee Dorsey and Janelle Dowell. It's an opportunity to meet black artists from all over the US, and some from abroad. We definitely need more sites where we can support one another. There are a lot of well known artists on the site, and many unknowns, as well, but it's a great place for inspiration! Check it out here. My art just happens to be featured this week. ;) To view my page go here.

Oh Glorious Pastels!

2010-07-06T08:56:00.000-07:00

I used to do a lot of pastel work in the past, but I stopped when I began painting more regularly. Recently, I picked up the pastels again, after a nearly 13 year hiatus. I never forgot how vibrant and rich pastels were. I'm not sure people really know that they are pure pigment! That's why the colors are exceptionally rich. I figured that I would dabble again. I've produced quite a few pieces in the last week, so I'll keep going.

"Guardian", Pastel © 2010

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

2010-06-13T12:50:00.000-07:00

"If you compare yourself with others, you lose - I am the hero in my own life"

Odd Nerdrum, Bilder, 1983.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

2010-05-28T16:32:00.000-07:00

Birds sing after a storm; why shouldn't people
feel as free to delight in whatever sunlight
remains to them?
-Rose Kennedy

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

2010-05-19T08:34:00.000-07:00

Of all the preposterous assumptions of humanity over humanity, nothing exceeds most of the criticisms made on the habits of the poor, by the well-housed, well-warmed, and well fed.

- Herman Melville

A Woman's Work

2010-05-18T09:29:00.000-07:00

A few months back, I participated in a wonderful exhibition with some amazing women. Since I haven't been blogging, I didn't get a chance to post some of the amazing pics from the show. Women artists, particularly 'black' women artists don't get enough shine. We need to appreciated as viable competitors in this art game!

Myself and Byrma

Artist Grace Kisa

Wade (that's his wife Helena in my painting!)

In Black and White

2010-05-16T19:55:00.000-07:00

Recently, I came upon some photos that I had taken 18 years ago. I've loved photography as equally as I loved drawing and painting, and when I wasn't painting, photography provided immediate gratification. Back then, my mother allowed me to use her manual camera, and my photography teacher Mr. Zutz, taught us how to handle it. I really, really enjoyed the process of developing film. There was nothing quite like the process of seeing something that you shot come to life.

Sometimes I think that we depend too much on digital photography, and Photoshop, when back in the days we were required to actual learn how to manage the camera, and learn how to use the chemicals to develop. It required more work then... I guess we have to roll with the times because we live in a time of immediacy. I still shoot all of my images using the manual options, that way I can make the decisions about how my images come out.

Check out some of my 'general' photography here:
www.tnmphotography.weebly.com

My family in Jamaica. I took this in 2000.

© 2000-2010 Tamara Natalie Madden

Little boy in Jamaica, 2000.
© 2000-2010 Tamara Natalie Madden

An Interview with Black Girl's Rock Inc.

2010-05-15T11:31:00.000-07:00

In Living Color: An Interview with Artist Tamara Natalie Madden

Posted on May 11, 2010 by Patrice Peck

Have you ever come across an amazing work of art and thought, “I wonder what the story is behind this piece?” Well, after looking through painter Tamara Natalie Madden’s collection, you will undoubtedly be asking yourself, “What’s the story behind this artist?” Madden’s self-taught gift for painting actually stemmed from a life-threatening kidney illness that she battled as a young girl. Thankfully, Madden conquered the illness thanks to her (at the time) long-lost brother who agreed to a kidney transplant. Painting continued to serve as an expressive tool long after her recovery. Madden may have come to the United States in her teenage years, but the large influence that Jamaica, her mother country, has had on her work can be found in the bright colors and organic textures that she uses. In honor of her astounding project “Never Forgotten,” Madden has recently received a grant from the Puffin Foundation. For more information on Tamara, please head to her website http://www.tamaranataliemadden.com/.
BLACK GIRLS ROCK: How did painting help you battle your illness? Do you consider painting a therapeutic art form?
Tamara: I suffered from a rare form of kidney disease called IGA Nephropathy, in my early twenties. It was a shock to my young mind. Illness is never expected at that age, but I didn’t seek relief until I really began to see the effects of the disease. I had always sketched, and done pastel work, but I really began to delve more deeply into it when I became ill. The dialysis treatments were the most challenging: physically and emotionally.

My saving grace was my sketchbook, and my headphones. They helped me to escape the reality of what I was dealing with, somewhat. Drawing and painting became my only means of freedom during those times. I know that creating art is therapeutic. It soothes the mind and soul, and that’s essential when people are troubled by their difficult realities. I’m not sure where I would be if I didn’t have art as an option.
BLACK GIRLS ROCK: As a young woman, who were some of your mentors and influences?
Tamara: My first influences were my Uncles. Both of the uncles that I interacted with were Rastafarians, and they were both highly creative. My uncle Carl was the most influential because he lived with us. He would make woodcarvings out of scraps, and I would sit and watch him in awe. I was completely fascinated by the process. He also drew pictures in pencil, and that was a source of inspiration, as well.

Many of my influences also came from the books that I read, and the images that I would see on the covers, and sometimes inside of the books. Not only would I study the words, but I also studied the images. When I got older, and came to America my mother had a friend who was an artist, and her watercolors enthralled me. I have to say though, that one of my greatest mentors was an art teacher in summer school when I was 14. I don’t know his name, but I’ll never forget him. He taught me how to draw faces, albeit Caucasian faces, but faces nonetheless. At the end of the year, he told me that he could see my passion for art, and he encouraged me to keep at it. He gave me all of the left over art supplies. I never forgot that, or him because his encouragement made me believe that the possibility was there.
Black Girls Rock: What are some sources of inspiration for your paintings?
Tamara: Everyday people, hard working people who are often overlooked, inspire me. I began painting them in their literal form; many of them were working, cleaning, carrying baskets, and raising children. As I remembered these people from Jamaica, I remembered how beautiful many of them were internally. They were neighbors, and friends who would share a meal with you, even though they barely had enough to give. They would come by and help you clean, or sit and keep you company during trying times. Many had their own internal struggles that they were dealing with, but once they opened their mouths, they talked about their blessings, and they praised God relentlessly.

These people are often judged and looked down upon by society, and I found that when I painted them, the same thing happened; they were judged and looked down upon. I decided that it was important for them to be seen for who they were intrinsically. The kings and queens are my interpretation of those people and their internal & eternal beauty. The paintings make you stop and stare and wonder who these people are, when before, no one gave them a second look. Beauty is so much more than physicality, and though my paintings may capture a beautiful essence, that essence belongs to the soul of the people that I’m inspired by. The birds are a personal symbol of my freedom from dialysis, and illness.

Black Girls Rock: What has been your greatest challenge in your career?
Tamara: The sacrifice. Being an artist requires a lot of sacrifice. It requires patience, and faith. It can be a challenging journey with lots of bumps along the way. Unfortunately, in the art world, I’m not just considered an artist; I am ‘black’, then ‘woman’, then ‘artist.’ All of those titles present there own unique set of obstacles. In addition, to trying to meander my way through the visual art world, while being taken seriously, and not loosing my integrity; I have to be an educator. It’s essential that the new generation of black children learn about the arts, and the value of the arts. They need to understand that art is an investment, which will benefit them for many generations. They also need to know that art is the keeper of history in many cases; it’s an essential doorway to their ancestors.
Black Girls Rock: Do you have any advice for young women of color interested in the arts?
Tamara: My advice is to never stop dreaming, never stop believing, and never stop challenging yourself. You have to strive to achieve your personal best. Don’t ever compare yourself or your work to others because no one in this world can do what you do. Each person is truly unique, so you must embrace that.
The other piece of advice is to throw your ego out of the window, and stomp on it! In order to grow, you have to take some level of criticism. It may hurt, but it makes you better at your craft. Art is not a business for the faint of heart, so if you feel like you’ve got the gift, the willpower, and the faith, then dive on in…and forget the life jacket, it’s sink or swim. My mantra: “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”

~Sigh~

2010-05-04T12:00:00.000-07:00

I haven't been blogging for a while. I've been on an artistic hiatus, of sorts. I have much to say...so I'll be back on the grind, shortly.

Sometimes we need to be silent.

The Urban Jungle

2010-02-19T20:47:00.000-08:00

While riding through the city today; I stopped abruptly because I saw a horse drawn wagon. The wagon itself was locked within the gates of what appeared to be a junkyard. That quick glimpse of it made me excited and I wanted to shoot it. I have always had a fascination with those since I came to America. They are often romanticized, and I thought that maybe one day I would get the opportunity to ride in one. As I got to the gates to take a shot of the carriage, I was startled by the movement of a horse! This horse was not attached to the carriage, but it was rummaging through junk like a dog. It was eating something that was seemingly unnatural...nothing like hay. I looked around shocked, and soon spotted another one, standing in the corner looking sad and desolate, it's furry brown coat looking tattered and ragged. I had never seen such a thing, 'Urban Horses!' Soon, a chicken came by...

What a sad, disgusting and unnatural environment these poor horses live in. I wanted to set them free. Maybe I'm spoiled because I live in the country. The horses here are beautiful and well taken care of, with lots of land to run around on and lots of fresh air, and hay to eat. A far cry from these urban horses, who were surrounded by tires, old cars, garbage, and a myriad of other things...

and what was up with the chickens?

i digress.

what a day.

Stop

2010-01-29T05:43:00.000-08:00

Stop. Take a moment, take a breath...a deep one. Now begin counting your blessings. We don't often do that. I am, by nature, a grateful person. I appreciate the little things...the smallest gifts, like the dirt, and the first flowers springing to life. I'm grateful that I grew up the way that I did because it molded me into the woman that I am today. I'm grateful for my grandmother who taught me that a little goes a long way and that life is not about 'having'.

So I find less reason to complain. When I look in my pantry and wonder where all of the food has gone; I'm thankful because I have the money to replenish it. When I get in my car and drive down the street; I'm undeniably grateful for the fact that I have that luxury, and that I don't have to walk everywhere because there are no buses in my city.

Everyday is a new one that abounds with life, light and spirit. When I was growing up in Jamaica, we always awoke to the sounds of the rooster crowing and the beautiful sunrise. We were surrounded by the sounds of nature's music, and boy did it sound good. We found reason to smile in the midst of struggle, and our spirits were resolute. I will never become lost in this world. I will never be driven by greed and power, and I will always find a way to uplift the poor and forgotten.

Let's attempt to find less reason to complain and more reasons to be thankful. Remember that our people are suffering all over the world because of greed and carelessness...and always remember to give, however you can.

-Selah "Let those with eyes see and with ears hear."

Lamentation pour Haïti

2010-01-20T19:00:00.000-08:00

"Lamentation pour Haïti," a mixed media painting created specifically to offer fans of Tamara's artwork an opportunity to help the people of Haiti.

A Caribbean woman and individual concerned with the human plight in general, Tamara was particularly overcome with grief by the initial and ongoing devastation and suffering in Haiti. Moved by the COUNTLESS children suffering as a result of injury, loss of parents, family, limbs, and life....she decided to donate to Save the Children, an internationally recognized charitable foundation with a current, specific focus on the urgent and long-term needs of Haiti's babies and children.

Many people love Tamara's work and would love to own it, but often say it's unaffordable. Just like many of us want to do *something* to help Haiti's inhabitants. Here's a perfect opportunity to do both at once.

50% tax-deductible, signed, numbered, limited edition (of 300) prints of "Lamentation pour Haïti," are available now in two sizes: 11" x 14" ($50) and 16" x 20" ($100). They are printed on hahnemuhle photo rag paper (300 GSM weight).

Contact Tamara directly (with your address and phone number) at thearttist@gmail.com to purchase your print today. All payments will be processed through Paypal. Shipping not included in purchase price.

(Lamentation pour Haïti, ©2010 by Tamara Natalie Madden)

Zenith of Zebulon ©

2010-01-02T20:02:00.000-08:00

Zenith of Zebulon 30x40 © 2009

Last piece of '09. Please forgive the glare and blurred image. I was having difficulty shooting this.

Toyin Odutola {A Master in the Making}

2009-12-29T19:01:00.000-08:00

It is my goal to feature amazing black girl artists (as I like to call them), from time to time. I find that we are thoroughly under represented in the art world, and that we have to work too hard to get the recognition that we deserve.

I found this artist named, Toyin Odutola, randomly. She's Nigerian like my home girl, who just happens to share the same name. Her work is phenomenal and her drawings are exotic and powerful. There are so many adjectives that I could use to describe the depth of her drawings, but one has to see them and make their own judgments. It's only fair that each person be allowed to interpret the art in their own way.

Her work is very different from mine. She uses pen and ink and the occasional graphite or charcoal, but more that anything, it's her creative style that is beautiful and inspiring. Check out more of her work here.

Emmanuel(le)

Animorphose I

Ambivalent Persona

Hottentot: Dancer's Transformation

From Whence I Came

2009-12-22T15:13:00.000-08:00

I thought that I would share some of my older works. We all have to start from somewhere and growth only happens when you work towards it and are open to it.

I did this drawing when I was 14. I was just learning how to draw faces.

On my artistic journey, I've tried many things. A lot of the ideas that I had really sucked and my painting skills were really bad! I kept on though, because no one could tell me that I wasn't going to be an artist.

I really thought that I was doing something here! This was supposed to be a deep painting! It was in oil too. I don't like oil any longer, it's just not my thing. lol!

An early drawing called Stork Man.

Aaah, my attempts at painting.

It started getting a little better.

The piece above is in Vanderbilt University's permanent collection.

Eventually, I began to evolve and growth came. It takes time and lots of failure sometimes, but if you believe it you can achieve it! Corny, but true! :)

The Hottentot Venus

I'm still growing. I'll never stop. I continue to challenge myself and learn from others. I'm self taught and I'm a woman and I'm black, but above all I am an artist and I have a voice.

Too "Black" Art

2009-12-17T18:30:00.000-08:00

I just found this article while doing a random search. It was written by Marlon H. Banks, an African American artist living in Madison, WI. He's also a former fellow at the Studio Museum in Harlem. (I couldn't find any of his work.) I thought that he discussed the dilemma of [not] fitting into the art world as a black artist, without having to conform or alter your work, very well. I wanted to be sure to share this because I truly understand what he's going through. It is a constant battle, especially since my work is so BLACK. Galleries look past me, not just because they may think that my work is mediocre, but because my strong, poignant images of black people may be too much for some to look at. Anyhow, please view the article below.

Not in my backyard
Finding a gallery to work with can be hard for any artist, and it's even more difficult when the artist and his work are said to be "too black." If the artist takes a "centrist" approach, using, for example, abstraction or irony in his or her work, the likelihood of gallery representation seems to increase. Such maneuvers, however, threaten the work of African-American artists with dilution or "gentrification." This is why I insist, in my representational images, on being as black as I am.

Today, the image of black folk in the fine arts often appears owned and maintained by curators, university art departments, and commercial galleries. The same beneficiaries of white privilege create and maintain parameters to define the relative purity of art made by black people. Often, art said to be "too black" has been pushed by the artist to a level of realism that can make whites uncomfortable. Ironically, these parameters are maintained by men who get no darker than a Wisconsin summer tan; they also believe there's no market for art that's too black and too representational.

Of all types of art made by African Americans, it can seem that folk, outsider, and what some refer to as primitive receive the widest exposure. But it's also true that African Americans are making inroads in other ways. Some artists achieve greater involvement in the larger (white) art world by focusing on abstraction. More and more, artists are intentionally using negative stereotypes to make complicated points about black history and culture (this has been called "hyper-black" or "post-black"). These artists are often able to combine humor and irony with formal innovation, sometimes with sublime results. Notwithstanding the word "primitive," each strategy above is important. Each breaks down boundaries in its own way.

Still, I cannot describe my own work in terms of self-deprecating humor or irony. Nor do I subscribe to the idea of eliminating evidence of ethnicity in exchange for a strict diet of abstraction. However, I am comfortable with the Studio Museum in Harlem's description of my work as "Black Romantic." For me, this show was not about traditional romanticism but more about a group of artists who are willing to address the broad span or full palette of African-American culture, in terms of both audience and subject matter.

Now, I would like to see more interest in and support for our art in my own backyard. Why should we have to travel elsewhere to find sustained interest in our work (a question asked by many of the thirty "Black Romantics")? For those of us who have already come from other places throughout the country, there is no "someplace else." Support and visibility should be possible in the places we call home, without expectations on anyone's part that we are folk, primitive, or outsider artists.

--Marlon H. Banks, Madison, WI

The Dreamer: An Upscale Magazine article

2009-12-14T22:01:00.000-08:00

"Stop Acting Rich...and Start Living like a Real Millionaire!

2009-12-13T22:54:00.000-08:00

I'm such a non-blogger, but I'm doing my best to keep up. I'm often too busy painting, mothering, paying bills, loving my man and doing a myriad of other things to keep up with this blogging thing. I really need to figure out how to get more followers. Wow! I have no idea how to do this thing! :)

Anyhow, I was reading an article today that I found pretty interesting, just thought that I'd share. It simply reiterates some of the things that I say all of the time. They just say it better. lol! Read at your leisure. Follow the link to read it at its source.

To Act Like the Rich, Be Frugal

If you want to be rich, you need to stop acting like you have money in the bank and start living beneath your means. That's the message in the most recent book from Thomas J. Stanley, author of "The Millionaire Mind" and the "The Millionaire Next Door."
Bankrate asked Stanley to explain what's fueling America's hyper-consumptive ways and unquenchable thirst for top-shelf brand vodka -- among other indulgences.

Q: In your book "Stop Acting Rich...and Start Living like a Real Millionaire," you say that rich people don't necessarily act the way that the rest of us might think they do. In fact, millionaires are more likely to be extremely frugal. Why is that?

A: There are many factors that explain frugality among the rich.
First, their parents tended to be not only frugal, but well-disciplined. Most millionaires today came from middle-class backgrounds. Their parents were not wealthy, but somewhat comfortable. Millionaires tell me that they never felt embarrassed by where they lived or the type of home they had. To a considerable degree, it is the uniquely American upward socioeconomic mobility that fuels much of the hyper-consuming engine of the market for luxury goods, prestige products, upscale brands, expensive homes and so on.
Beyond income, one's vocation has much to do with accumulating wealth. Educators, engineers, business owners and retail store managers have a tendency to live below their means and to be quite efficient in transforming their income into wealth.
It is the home/neighborhood environment that most explains one's ability to accumulate wealth. It may be useful for people to understand that there are 1,138,070 millionaire households living in homes valued under $300,000. This is far more than the 403,211 who live in homes valued at $1 million or more.
Q: You describe different levels of wealth in the book. There are the glittering rich, the income (statement) affluent and the balance sheet affluent.

A: The glittering rich make up a small fraction of 1 percent of the household population. They have a minimum annual household income of seven figures and a net worth of eight figures and more. They are extremely wealthy people, and they spend accordingly.
But, as I said in "Stop Acting Rich," no matter what they spend their money on, it is just a fraction of their overall net worth. In other words, even the glittering rich spend below their means. There are no more than 80,000 glittering rich households in a nation of more than 115,000,000 households.
The income statement affluent are those with high incomes and relatively low levels of net worth. They are not very productive in transforming their incomes into wealth. Many of the people in this category are highly compensated physicians, attorneys and executives. Many are driven to hyper-consume by their need to display high social status.
Farmers are found in high concentrations among the segment I refer to as balance sheet affluent. The balance sheet affluent are highly productive at transforming their income into wealth.
Among the most productive of this group are educators, engineers, owners of small businesses, and as mentioned, farmers.

Q: Who is buying most of the top-shelf brand vodkas, extravagant cars and homes and why?
A: The question of "who" really has two answers.
Status products and homes are more likely purchased by people who have higher incomes. Look at three socioeconomic measures: net worth or wealth, household income and the market value of a home. Which of these variables is best at predicting consumption of the items mentioned? The value of a home ranks first, income ranks second and wealth ranks third.
Again, while it is true that the people at the upper level of these measures have a higher propensity to consume prestige products, it is not necessarily the most significant market.

For example, most prestige makes of cars -- 86 percent -- are driven by nonmillionaires. Yes, people with very high incomes, high levels of wealth are more likely to drive status automobiles. But in sheer numbers, the largest consumer segment for pricey cars, vodkas and homes is not the millionaire population, it is the aspirationals. These are people who think they are acting rich via their adoption of prestige brands, but in most cases they are only acting like each other.

Why do these people act this way? In large part, they are trying to imitate economically successful people. They take their cues from Hollywood and the advertising industry. The problem is that most aspirationals know few, if any, really wealthy to emulate.

Would they still continue to drive prestige makes of cars if they knew that the No. 1 make of automobile among millionaires is the Toyota? Along these lines, would they still crave living in a $1 million home when they find out that nearly three times more millionaires live in homes valued at under $300,000 than live in those valued at $1 million or more?

Q: Should financial freedom be everyone's ultimate goal, and where does that leave the people whose life goals are simply to have some of the trappings of wealth, such as the nice house in the tony suburb and a European sports car?

A: America is often referred to as the land of the free. But most people in this country are not really free. They are tied to debt and a treadmill existence in terms of earning a living.

At this moment, our federal government has promised future social benefits in excess of $50 trillion. That figure is approximately the same amount of the total personal wealth held by Americans.
In the future, it is very likely that the government will not be able to provide the promised social benefits to our seniors. The typical household in the United States has a net worth of just over $90,000. That is about the same annual cost of a decent quality nursing home.

Also, if home equity and equity in motor vehicles is netted out of the $90,000, then the typical household's net worth drops down to about $30,000. That is only about 60 percent of the typical household's annual income. Therefore, it should be everyone's goal to provide for their economic future by being fiscally responsible.

Otherwise, what will happen when millions of seniors are no longer able to work and have little or no wealth accumulated? Many of them will become completely dependent upon their adult children or become destitute. The money that they spent on the trappings of wealth yesterday (the house in a tony suburb or a European sports car) will not pay for tomorrow's food, clothing and shelter (possibly a nursing home).

Q: How do you recommend that people become prosperous if they would prefer to get off the consumer treadmill?

A: The simplest way is to live below one's means.

The typical household should be able to put away 5 percent of their annual income while they are in their 30s, 10 percent when they are in their 40s, and 20 percent when they are in their 50s.

This is also related to satisfaction with life overall. There is a highly significant correlation between satisfaction in life and living in a home and neighborhood which are easily affordable.
What is a good rule if you are determined to become wealthy?

The market value of the home you purchase should be less than three times your household's total annual realized income. Also, if you are not yet wealthy, but want to be someday, never purchase a home that requires a mortgage that is more than twice your household's annual realized income.

Q: Do you have a sense that American consumer values are shifting from aspirational luxury purchases that seemed to be heavily marketed in the early 2000's asset bubble days to more frugal ones?
A: No, I don't think that the values are shifting.
The only reason that people aren't spending as much as they did prior to the current economic meltdown is that they don't have as much money to spend right now. We are a nation of hyper-consumers. We encourage our children to major in consumption and minor in frugality!
The smartest people in the world are in the marketing and advertising industries in this country. How else can you explain that 300 different brands of vodka coexist in our domestic market? In 2009, about 2.3 million American seniors will pass away. What did they do with the more than $2 trillion in income that they earned in their lifetimes?
I estimate that only 2.3 percent will leave behind a gross estate (all assets included) of $1 million or more. What did the other 97.7 percent of the decedents do with all of their income? If they did not save their income, invest it or allocate it to things that appreciate (LIKE FINE ART), where did the money go?

Beyond the basic necessities, an awful lot of it was spent on things, many things that now reside in landfills and thrift shops. We are and will continue to be a culture of hyper-consumption.

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-10T13:09:00.000-08:00

Fine Art Photography

2009-12-08T06:47:00.000-08:00

I enjoy photography tremendously. It's one of my many creative loves. I started shooting at around aged 9 when my mother began taking a class at her university. I continued throughout high school, but by the time I reached my adult years; I had to put it on the back burner--well, not really. I didn't have the proper camera, but I still shot hundreds and hundreds of pictures of everything from rocks to toes. I revisited photography again as I grew creatively. It's a part of me that I can't and won't separate from. I'm sharing some new images that I'm working on. These images deal with societal travesties. Enjoy, if you will.

Groceries & Deli, Archival Print-Museo Silver Rag

Empty, Archival Print-Museo Silver Rag

Sylvan Rd., Archival Print-Museo Silver Rag

Humanity's Curse, Archival Print-Hahnemuhle

Photo Rag

Urban Woes, Archival Print-Museo Silver Rag

Lawton, Archival Print-Museo Silver Rag

Mixed Media

2009-12-07T22:28:00.000-08:00

I'm so Weebly!

2009-12-06T16:02:00.000-08:00

A new free site for me to roll around in! See it here!

A few new Mixed Media Pieces!

2009-12-06T15:02:00.000-08:00

The Soul Within, 12x12 Mixed Media on Wood

The Path, 12x12 Mixed Media on Wood

...and her name was..., 12x12 Mixed Media on Wood

Food for Thought

2009-11-29T12:55:00.001-08:00

"There is always something to do. There are hungry people to feed, naked people to clothe, sick people to comfort and make well. And while I don't expect you to save the world I do think it's not asking too much for you to love those with whom you sleep, share the happiness of those whom you call friend, engage those among you who are visionary and remove from your life those who offer you depression, despair and disrespect."

~ Nikki Giovanni

New Paintings!

2009-11-14T17:03:00.000-08:00

Please contact me via email for details on the work. Thanks.

of royal lineage 48x24 acrylic & mixed media on canvas

One 36x24 acrylic & mixed media on canvas

transformation of the enlightened 40x30 acrylic on canvas

New Mixed Media Pieces!

2009-11-14T16:32:00.000-08:00

The wood pieces are all a part of a new series called No Man Can Degrade. It comes from a quote by Frederick Douglass that says, The soul that is within, no man can degrade. I began the series sometime ago, when I received a grant from the Puffin Foundation. I used a different name for the series at the time, but the premise is still the same.

The pieces are inspired by social, spiritual and philosophical issues. They stem from my passion for giving everyone their just due, for allowing each man or woman to have an opportunity to give their take and receive respect in return. Often time the downtrodden, the elderly and the sick are overlooked because of their demise, but I truly feel that their voices need to be heard, and that their stories need to be told.

These works are created using my own original photography. I also use acrylic paint, wood and other objects to bring the them to life. My goal, through these works, is to bring a voice to the unheard and allow the invisible to be seen. This will be an ongoing series so please keep an eye out for all that there is to come.

Please contact me via email for more details on the work.

12x12 mixed media on wood

24x24 mixed media on wood

7x24 mixed media on wood

24x24 mixed media on wood

12x12 mixed media on wood

12x12 mixed media on wood

12x12 mixed media on wood

Kings&Queens

2009-11-10T09:40:00.001-08:00

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

Kings&Queens

View more presentations from tamara madden.

Nicole Pritchett's Visionary Work

2009-11-07T16:04:00.000-08:00

Recently, I had the pleasure of going to support a friend of mine at her exhibition. I enjoy Nicole's work because it's raw and passionate, yet peaceful. Her recent works feature large wood sculptures, that are reminiscent of trees and plants. Her works seem to connect with, and incorporate elements of earthly fantasies. The muted colors make the works very easy to view, even though some of her complex artistic techniques might leave viewers anxious to know how it was executed. My favorites are her ink drawings; I love the details and intricacy in those works. I also really love her batiks because the colours are so vibrant and the images so profound. I'm glad to know Nicole and glad that she is consistently creating. You can find more about her and her work here.

I have always been a daydreamer. I think that's where a lot of my pieces are born. The mixing of -mixing the fantasy with the real (world). My works really look to bring out the hidden surprises of those two worlds. Being fortunate enough to find interesting shapes, colors and beauty in almost anything. I can look at an old/rotting tree and dead flowers and find its beauty and that is what I want to incorporate in my artwork. - Nicole Pritchett

Pangeas

2009-11-03T13:53:00.000-08:00

I've been blogging and sharing my photography on a site called The Pangeas Garden Project. I was asked to participate by my friend Vincent Christie. The site focuses on natural women. You can find more info here and here and you can see all of my posts and photography by linking here.

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Tamara Natalie Madden...Renaissance Woman

I am Vincent Christie, the creator of this blog and the latest entries were not from me. They were the works and words of Artist and Photographer Tamara Natalie Madden. And she joins the Project as a regular contributor to the Garden.

A Jamaican native, I've known Tamara since she moved to Atlanta five years ago. The young creative has lived through some challenges. Diagnosed in 1997 with a life threatening genetic kidney disease called IGA Nephropathy, her art became her lifeline. But as her health deteriorated she decided to take trip home to Jamaica where she discovered she had a long lost brother who donated to her a kidney and saved her life. Tamara says that her illness was very challenging but it also gave her the fire she needed to push forward.

Tamara also says, "My challenge has been to create art that is significant to me and to also create work that is of quality. I believe that I was given this gift to inspire and empower people and I know that ultimately my talents can be used for the greater good. Everyday I think about what I can do to take my work to a greater level."

Tamara is an extraordinary visionary with much to share. I look forward to her forthcoming posts to the Garden. You can find some of her paintings here and on her website; you can find her photography here. The captures made of her, here, are the work of Maurice Evans.

-Vincent Christie

Interview with Jamaicans.com

2009-11-01T20:21:00.000-08:00

Yet another interview. This recent interview was with Jamaicans.com. I was honoured to be interviewed for their site. This was the same site that I found my wonderful brother on nine years ago. Obviously meeting him saved my life, so in a way they had something to do with that. Please take a look at the interview below or feel free to visit their site here. You'll be able to find other wonderful articles about Jamaican people, food, life, etc. or just catch up with the goings on of the Yardies!

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Interview with Jamaican painter, Tamara Natalie Madden

Published Oct 31, 2009

This month we interview Jamaican painter, Tamara Natalie Madden. Her paintings are exciting, vivid and rich in color. She also tells us the story how Jamaicans.com helped her find a lost relative.

When did you start painting?
I began painting when I was a teenager, however, I've been drawing most of my life.

When did you know your were good at this and wanted to make it a career?
I knew that I had talent early on, however, I never thought that art would be my career. I only realized that after I became ill with kidney failure and ended up on dialysis. It was during that experience that I found art again and made a promise to myself that I would pursue art after I became well. My amazing brother(who I found on Jamaicans.com) offered me a kidney and I received a transplant in 2001. Soon after, I was able to do my first exhibition, and I haven't stopped since then.

Did you do any formal schooling?
I've never been taught formally. I've only taken classes in high school and summer school. I learned more about the process in my later years through the help of my mentors.

Who is your biggest supporter?
My daughter would say that she is my #1 fan and supporter, however my best friend and godmother have always supported me. They saw my talent and stood by my side when I decided to pursue art. There were so many other people who believed in me. The list would be too long.

Describe your work?
I had always felt a connection to everyday folk, the working class, the unseen and unheard, the true warriors of our time. My childhood experience with poverty dictated that I care. I realized, however, that many people, who may have suffered through a similar struggle, did not want to revisit those struggles so I decided to turn my ideas inside out. Inspired, by the golden period of Gustav Klimt and images of royalty from Egypt and West Africa; I decided to turn regular folk into kings and queens. It seemed to be the only way to allow them to be represented and appreciated for who they were intrinsically; kings, queens and warriors who never had a chance to shine, their ragged clothes and despondent appearance setting the tone for others to judge them.

Most of your subjects are women. Is there are reason for this?
There are no real reasons why I paint women, because I paint men, as well. I suppose there may be an unconscious reason that I'm unaware of. I do believe that a lot of women need to be uplifted and empowered and my hope is that my work will be able to do that.

Which artists influence you?
I was very inspired by Gustav Klimt when I began the new series, but there are so many artists that I find inspiring. I've found that I can find inspiration in any art.

Which artists would you like to meet?
I wouldn't mind meeting Kara Walker. She's an exceptionally successful black female artist. I'd like to find out about the steps that she took to get where she is today. I'm sure that academia had a lot to do with it, but it would be nice to pick her brain.

How do you get ready to paint? Do you have a special ritual?
I have no ritual, I simply need inspiration. My studio is in my home so all I have to do is walk a few feet and begin painting. It's a wonderful way to work.

What is your idea of art that is visually pleasing to the eyes?
I think that different people are drawn to different things, some like colour an some don't. As long as the individual feels something positive when they look at the piece, then I think that it's pleasing them visually.

How many paintings do you average in a year?
Quite a few. I'm very prolific. On average, I produce about 5 paintings a month so I do a lot during the year. There are times when I take breaks, because I need time to reflect and think so that I can be inspired.

Do you have an unfinished painted stacked away that is going to be come a master piece?
Yes, but I'm not sure if they will be a masterpieces.

What is your favorite work you have painted so far?
I'm not sure that I have a favourite, per se, but I was moved by the first piece in my current series, Unmasked. It was an important transitional piece.

What new projects are you working on? Is there an upcoming exhibit?
Currently, I'm working on a new mixed media series that incorporates my photography. I'm still working on my ongoing King & Queen series. Currently, I'm participating in Art off the Main. I have no upcoming shows planned because I'm taking this time to work. I participated in a lot of shows this year and I need to produce new work.

What is playing on your ipod/mp3 right now?
My musical selection is broad. I love Laura Izabor's new cd and of course, "mi favourite dj Buju!" I have Jah Cure and Adele and so many other wonderful artists on my i-pod. There are too many to name.

If you were not an artist what would you be?
I'd still be doing something creative. I really enjoy writing so I may have done that. I've also been a teacher before and that would have been another good option.

When we contact you about the interview you mentioned you found your brother through Jamaicans.com. Can you tell us that story?
I have four brothers. The other three were living in Canada, but there was one that I hadn't known, and he was living in Jamaica. Before I headed home in 2000; I had an immensely strong feeling that I had to find that brother. He was my father's son, and I hadn't seen him since we were six, and that was very brief. I never really knew him, I just knew of him. My only intention was to meet him because I wasn't sure when I would be able to go home again.

I didn't realize at the time that God was talking to me. The feeling came over me so strong that I started calling family members to see if they knew his name or where he was living in Jamaica. I called around and no one was able to help me except for my grandmother. She was not his grandmother because we have different mothers, but she was familiar with everyone who lived in the area. She remembered his mother's name and at the time there was an option on the site to locate numbers in a phone book of some kind in Jamaica. I put her name in and her phone number popped up. Eventually, I got in touch with her and she got me in contact with my brother who was living in Mandeville at the time.

It was shocking for both of us when we met. I was very ill, but I never went to Jamaica looking for anything except him, and he offered to save my life. It was because of the grace of God that my life was spared and I'm thankful to him for blessing my wonderful brother with such a kind heart. I love him dearly.

Thanks to Jamaicans.com for providing the opportunity for me the find him!!

Thanks for the interview and final thoughts?
I'm the little girl who grew up in Manchester, climbing ackee and orange trees. I loved my childhood and even then I believed in the possibilities. My hope is that other little children can grow up to see that they can do what they love and live their dream. Please look for my work in the December edition of Upscale Magazine.

My mantra: " The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." Eleanor Roosevelt

The ODD Truth

2009-10-31T19:44:00.000-07:00

Recently, a good friend of mine made a suggestion to me about my work. She told me to delve more into myself to see what I can find. Most of my inner most thoughts and feeling are generally expressed through writings that I refuse to share. I find them to be too personal.

When she suggested that I paint my deepest thoughts and feelings, the first artist that I thought of was Frida Kahlo. I figured that my work would look somewhat like hers--if I were to interpret it literally--although her work wasn't necessarily literal. I'm sure that my work would involve some gore and possibly some sordid symbols and madness.

Needless to say, I really enjoy Frida's work because it tells the truth. It tells her truth in a way that I've yet to find in my visual art, only in my writings. It's a deep truth. I speak the truth in my work, but not my personal truths. I haven't reached that point yet, but I'm getting there...

...but there's another artist. One whose work speaks just as clearly as Frida's, but is more masterfully rendered. It speaks to the darkness that lie within many of us, the darkness that we sometimes won't allow others to see. It is the painters' truth--his vision. It is ODD and he is ODD Nerdrum.

I was introduced to his work some years ago and thought that he was a classic artist that I had never heard of, but I soon found out that he is of our time, although his paintings are classically inspired. His subject matters--well, let's just say they are ODD, but I can appreciate him as I do Frida because they speak their truth in their work--always.

So I decided, that I will make an attempt to delve, and we will see where it takes me. In the meantime, I'm inspired by his work--thoroughly.

The Singers, Odd Nerdrum (above)

Nerdrum calls himself a Kitsch painter saying, ‘the kitsch painter is committed to the eternal: love, death and the sunrise’ and ‘because modernism has conquered art, kitsch is the savior of talent and devotion.’

I suppose he doesn't want to get lost in this idea of modernism where painters have put money and fame before true purpose. That's my interpretation, but I do understand how easy it is to get lost as an artist.

I feel like my work has a purpose, but I know that there is so much more room to grow and I plan on doing that. In the meantime, I need to practice painting because I'm nowhere close to being as good as him, but I suppose that's ok. There's only one ODD and only one me. :)

Kitsch is the opposite of the public space, of the public conversation, of the demand for objectivity and functionality. Kitsch is the intimate space, our selves, our love and our congeniality, our yearnings and our hopes, and our tears, joys and passion. Kitsch comes from the creative person’s private space, and speaks to other private spaces. Kitsch deals therefore with giving intimacy dignity - Odd Nerdrum, ArtNews, April 2000.

Indiefied, Again.

2009-10-30T10:30:00.000-07:00

I love finding articles about my work. I guess it just shows me that folks are paying attention. That's a good thing for a growing artist. I suppose my narcissism makes me want to post everything that I see. lol! Here's an article written in 2008 by Ultraviolet Underground.
I thank them for their kind words.

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Friday, September 12, 2008

Indiefied- Tamara Natalie Madden

The work of Tamara Natalie Madden offers a reality both muted and vivid that is just touched with the kiss of the fantastical which makes her paintings both stunning, curious, and tragic at times. The sadness and pride within many of her subjects turns a tale that could easily be told without depth or sincere detail, into a view of humanity that stays with you long after the first sight. It would be difficult for one in touch with their heart to not want to sit and stare into the worlds she's cast so adeptly upon canvas.

You can find her works here in a
workshop caught in moonbeams
illuminating the dreaming sea:

http://www.tamaranataliemadden.com/

Absolute Arts

Just Lookin

Linked In

Thankyou Dope Swan for the intel

Thank God I'm Natural

2009-10-29T22:36:00.000-07:00

Recently, I was interviewed by Chris-Tia from Thank God I'm Natural for Natural Chic of the Week. She recently wrote a book about natural hair. You can find more details on her blog here. I didn't particularly like the picture she chose for me, but I'm re-posting the article here anyways. I changed the picture to something that fits more of my personality. The original one is on the bottom.

Natural Chic of the Week: Tamara Natalie Madden

October 26, 2009 · Filed under All, Natural Chic of the Week

She’s a Leo. She’s no nonsense, and being natural is literally, in her roots. Growing up on the tiny island of Jamaica, 34-year-old Tamara Natalie Madden was raised around family who embraced all things organic. But her road to naturaldom incurred a few bumps and even Jheri Curls, but hey, we all fall.
But successfully growing and maintaining her locks is just a minor accomplishment for the painter. One of her biggest success stories came after she received a kidney from her brother after experiencing kidney failure. The second lease on life not only gave her the courage, but also the drive to become a full-time painter, creating inspiring portraits of African American men and women. But don’t think Madden’s pieces can be purchased any old where. All her creations are one of a kind and will cost anywhere between $500 and $4,000.

However, when she’s not painting or being an overall creative, she’s enjoying time with her 13 year old daughter Nidalas, or whipping up one of her famous curry vegetarian dishes. Although having grown up in a family of naturals, when Madden finally made the decision for herself it was nothing less than freeing for her.” I feel like I took off the mask and stepped into being my true self.”

Longitude and Latitude:
Suburbs of Atlanta
What keeps the bills paid?
I’m a fine artist
Why the change?
I grew up around naturalists in Jamaica and by the time I was 19 years old, I was feeling the urge to get rid of the process. My uncles were Rastas and my grandmother used to wear long plaits. My aunt cut my hair into a short afro when I was 12 years old because there was really no way to maintain a process in Jamaica. My hair was natural until I was 14 years old and back in America. My mother gave me a Jheri curl then, and it was horrible! Eventually, I ended up with the process again! I was tired of the back and forth to the salon to get my hair straightened. I was really tired of the smell in the salon—all of those chemicals woo! That drove me crazy! I was also really tired of looking like everyone else. I wanted to be free–I wanted to be me. I never felt fully comfortable with a relaxer. When I chopped it off, I was bald! I felt like a new woman! I didn’t lock my hair until 2004.
What advice can you give to those going from relaxed to natural hair?
Don’t compare yourself to other people. Try not to worry about their opinions. Throw away ideas and thoughts that would deter you from going natural. Move at your own pace and do what you have to do to take the step forward. Some people go for the gusto and chop it off; others wear braids, wigs, extensions, etc. You have to find what works for you. Just embrace your true self. I know it’s difficult to break away from all that we’ve conformed to, but you will feel free, that’s a promise!
Ok. Dish on some of the products you absolutely heart to death.
I don’t use a lot of products in my hair, but I do like using natural oils to keep my hair moisturized. There’s a product called Aura Glow and I like to use that on my skin and in my hair. I also like natural shampoos, no particular brand.
What is your hair routine?
I wash my hair either every few days to every few weeks or whenever I feel like I need to. It’s very long so I generally wash it in the shower. Sometimes, if I want a color, I use Henna Hair dye to darken it. Henna can be messy, so I have to be careful not to dye my skin! I oil and twist my hair and usually braid it up when it’s wet so that I can get my crinkles. My hair is much longer when I leave it straight. The crinkles give my hair a little fullness and body.
What are your favorite hair styles?
With long locks, I can do almost anything! I usually just wear it down, but on some occasions I like to put it up. I always wear a bang. It’s not very common to see people with locks wearing bangs, but I wanted to do something different.
Any of the higher ups have something to say about your mane?
No. I suppose because I’m an artist; people aren’t surprised that I’m natural, but my hair has nothing to do with my profession. I would have been an artist regardless, but I think that the full experience of cutting my hair and embracing my true self enhanced me spiritually, thus affecting the type of art that I produce.
So how do the dudes dig your do?
Men love my hair, now. When I wore an afro, I found that fewer men were interested. I was always attracting militants for some reason. Now, I find that all types of men are attracted to me. I always wonder if it’s because my hair is long. I’ve had several guys tell me that they have never dated any woman with natural hair, but the length and upkeep of my hair made it easier for them to view me as a potential mate. It was pretty weird to hear someone say that to me, but everyone has a right to his or her opinions and preferences.
How do your peeps feel about your rambunctious roots?
My true friends accept me as I am. When I initially cut my hair off, I lost friends. I remember driving down the street with my BFF, maybe sometime in 1999 when we were confronted at a red light by some ignoramuses’ who shouted berating things to us about our afros. One of them attempted to hand us a comb through their car window. Needless to say, we sped off, but that was the general reaction I received from all types of people. The only consolation we received was when Lauryn Hill became popular—it was then and only then that we became somewhat cool because of our hair. My mother and extended family thought that it was a phase. My mother was a pristine, conservative, fair-skinned Jamaican woman–anything unkempt and disheveled wasn’t in her realm of understanding. Needless to say, my hair wasn’t her forte.
Who is your hair muse?
No one now. I really liked Vanessa Williams. She was dark and had long locks and was sort of a role model for me. It was inspiring to see an African American woman wearing her hair natural in Hollywood! She recently went back to a perm. I think she felt that her hair inhibited her — blah! That saddened me a bit.
What do you do for fun?
I’m an artist! That’s my fun. I do it for a living and it’s the best job in the world! It’s my true passion. Aside from that, I like photography and I spend a good amount of time doing that, as well. I also enjoy writing, but most of my writing is very personal. I enjoy all things creative and of course I enjoy modeling! It’s a fun way to express myself as well!
Anything else to add?
Visit my website and check out my art, www.tamaranataliemadden.com and look for my work in the December/January edition of Upscale Magazine.
What are you listening to on your Ipod?
Laura Izibor! Love love her CD.I also have Sizzla, Bilal, Adele, Portishead, Buju Banton, Jah Cure and a myriad of other wonderful artist on my Ipod.

Thank you Tamara for your time and for showing us how to keep it chic and stay natural at the same time. Until, next week.

DIGNIFIED

2009-10-29T22:27:00.000-07:00

Dignified, 9/2009

My visit to Winston-Salem, NC

2009-10-29T19:16:00.000-07:00

Myself and Curator Sharif Bey

I haven't been updating my page. I think that I've gotten way too busy for my own good! I did a show back in June in NC. It was a fairly successful show, although the opening was horrible. I just thought I'd share some of the images from that experience and the write-up that their local journal did about me.

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A Soaring Spirit: Artist overcame kidney disease to fulfill her creative dream

By Ken Keuffel
JOURNAL REPORTER

Published: July 5, 2009

When Tamara Natalie Madden came down with a rare disease, her kidneys failed and she underwent dialysis three times a week. The dialysis sessions began around 1997, shortly after Madden gave birth to her daughter. Each one kept Madden hooked to a machine for three or four hours -- and wondering how to keep sane in the process. She did so by drawing sketches for a children's book and by developing ideas for her paintings.
Madden's struggles with kidney disease ended happily in 2001 when a half-brother from her native Jamaica gave her one of his kidneys. And shortly thereafter, she entered some of her artwork in an exhibition, making good on a promise she had made to herself long ago, namely to become a professional artist.
Madden, a single mother in her early 30s, was born and raised in Jamaica. During her teenage years, she began living with her mother in the United States. The positive outcome of Madden's disease -- coupled with an unusual way of portraying everyday folk on canvas -- can be seen in "Majestic Women: Paintings by Tamara Natalie Madden," an exhibition that Winston-Salem Delta Fine Arts Inc. is presenting through July 25 at the Delta Arts Center, 2611 New Walkertown Road.
Madden now considers her half-brother her "brother." But she barely knew him when, "on a whim," she and her mother traveled back to Jamaica to reunite with family. "He thought I looked ill," Madden said recently on the telephone from her home in suburban Atlanta. "He asked me what was wrong, and I told him. He offered a kidney to me.… That's the kidney I have right now, that's keeping me alive."
Madden the artist has never forgotten this unexpected gesture of benevolence. In each of her works, there's a bird that represents what her artist statement calls "a sense of freedom."
"Dialysis … made me feel as if I couldn't budge (and) I felt imprisoned by my illness," the statement reads. "When I received my transplant I no longer felt like a caged bird. I was free to pursue my joys and my passion. Each bird represents that sense of autonomy, that feeling that you can achieve anything through hard work and dedication."
The other singular thing about the work in Madden's Delta Arts exhibition is the way she has transformed the everyday folk in her portraits into what she calls "kings and queens." The portraits' subjects run the gamut, from homeless people to modestly paid workers at a variety of companies. All of the subjects in "Majestic Women" are black, and despite the show's title, a few are men.
For "Majestic Women," Madden has painted portraits derived from photos she took of each subject -- and then "clothed" the portraits with colorful patches of fabric in such a way that each has taken on a regal air. This process depended on the cooperation of the portraits' subjects -- something that Madden wasn't always able to secure for a variety of reasons, including their desire not to be photographed.
One person who did agree to be photographed for a portrait in the exhibit was Nicole Pritchett, 37, who works as a fabric developer for a clothing company in the Atlanta area. She said that Madden wants to "uplift with her work" -- a goal she seems to have fulfilled with Pritchett.
"I felt, ‘Wow. Maybe, I could become a queen in my next life,'" she said.
The idea of transforming everyday folk into kings and queens came to Madden after she discovered that people "weren't moved by the images" in her paintings of everyday Jamaican folk.
She came to believe, thought, that if you "take a person you might overlook (and) put them in these clothes, then they become acceptable."
"You're forced to sort of look at them and appreciate them," she said.
Dianne Caesar, Delta's executive director, agreed, saying, "You're compelled to come look at them."
Sharif Bey, an assistant professor of art education at Winston-Salem State University, also sits on Delta's board. He said he recommended a Delta exhibition of Madden's work, after seeing it in a show at Syracuse University.
"It deviates from conventional portraiture by incorporating several media," Bey said.
"Majestic Women" has also reminded him of similar developments in the Harlem Renaissance, when artists worked to "combat negative images of blacks from the 19th century."
Curiously, Madden has never received any formal training in art beyond a few classes in high school. She is finishing work toward a bachelor's degree in business management, believing that talent in art only gets you so far, that "you have to understand the business of art" to make it as an artist as well.
Though she acknowledges that school can be helpful for an artist, she seems content to remain largely self-taught.
"I feel I can really express myself without limitations. I don't feel like I have to follow in anyone's rules and guidelines. I'm free. I'm not limited."
■ "Majestic Women: Paintings by Tamara Natalie Madden" will be presented through July 25 by Winston-Salem Delta Fine Arts Inc. at the Delta Arts Center, 2611 New Walkertown Road. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays. Admission is free; for more information, call 722-2625.
■ Ken Keuffel can be reached at 727-7337 or at kkeuffel@wsjournal.com.

LA LA LAND!

2009-05-14T11:47:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I received an email from CCH Pounder. It was quite surprising, but she wanted me to know that she liked my work and that she was putting together an exhibition in May at her gallery in Los Angeles, Pounder-Kone Art Space. She invited me to participate.

I had no idea that she had a gallery and was even more surprised to find out that she was a painter and collage artist, in addition to being an actress.

I decided that I had to go to LA. I had a friend who lived out there as as soon as she heard about it, plans were being made for me to travel out there and that's just what happened. The show, called Cooperative, opened on May 9, 2009 and will run until the 31st.

It was a wonderful experience to meet Mrs. Pounder-Kone, although I think that she prefers being called CC. She was a wonderfully pleasant woman with a British accent. I could tell that she really had a love for the arts and a true passion for assisting emerging artists like myself. I felt honored to be there.

The rest of my visit to LA was interesting. I suppose that I had expectations because I was a little surprised. I was a victim of the hype. The city lacked the pizazz that I expected it to have. It was simply regular. I suppose all cities must be, except for New York of course.;) Next time I will travel with no expectations!;)

I had fun though. I saw all of the sights, thanks to my wonderful hosts; shopped a bit and took in some of the sounds of the city.

After that I was beat. I think that I had six hours worth of sleep so when I returned home; I was a bit delirious! Such is the life of an artist!:)

I guess I better get on with it and go change the world!

The Beginning ?

2009-05-14T09:12:00.000-07:00

I recently had an exhibition in Syracuse, NY. The exhibition was at the Community Folk Art Center on Genesee St. and I stayed at the Genesee Grand Hotel.

Last week I had an exhibition in LA. I went to stay with some friends of mine. I didn't know where they stayed until I got to their neighborhood and realized that they stayed on Genesee Ave.

I was a little shocked about the coincidence. I was perplexed, not knowing what that meant, if anything.

I came home from LA and was relaxing when my daughter came running into the living room with a strange red bottle that said Genesis on it!

I shook my head and told her to put it back in the refrigerator realizing that my friend must have left it there without my knowledge.

Perplexed, I scratched my head and proceeded to continue the conversation that I was having with my mother. She told me that the coincidences were strange.

Finally, the day after I returned from LA; I decided to turn the television on for the first time. As soon as I turned the television on, a commercial for a new car called the Hyundai Genesis came on. I yelled in shock!

I told my best friend about all of the coincidences and she told me that maybe it meant that it was the beginning of something significant in my life. She then proceeded to tell me that she just found out that her boyfriend was from Genesee County in Michigan!!!!

Keep an eye on me! This may very well be the begininng of something greater than me.

CHILDREN INSPIRE ME!

2009-04-29T13:08:00.000-07:00

Children inspire me! During my visit to Syracuse, some students from Franklin Magnet School came to review my artwork. I received a couple of letters from them that I'd like to share. Children inspire and encourage me to keep creating.

To: Tamara Natalie Madden
From Shalaya Wilson
Fifth Grade, Franklin Magnet School, Syracuse, NY
Response Poem to Artwork

Half-Cut Apple

I’m holding a white bird on my hand.
I’m holding a blue, white, red,
brown and green blanket.
I’m wearing a beautiful white
dress with swirls on it.
I’m wearing a half-cut apple
on my neck with a seed sticking out.
My beautiful eyes are looking
at the pretty white bird on my hand.
I’m wearing a gold flower crown.
In the background is blue dark blue
with green and gold coming out.

Dear Tamara,

Your name sounds like “tomorrow,” but your name is still beautiful like you.
I can tell you are a colorful person because you use a lot of different colors.

I would like to let you know that everyone was drawn to your watermelon picture — how is that? Like they are drawn to me — ha, ha — get it?

Sincerely,
Dequanna Jones
Fifth Grade, Franklin Magnet School, Syracuse, NY

P.S. Please write back

Art can touch lives in so many ways! Many thanks to educator, Jules Gibbs, for the images and for taking the children to the exhibit.

Choices

2009-04-27T14:27:00.000-07:00

I'm a fine artist; a national and international artist. I don't view myself as a local artist. I simply reside in Atlanta.

I have to be very discerning when I choose to do certain things. I participated in an event last night and wasn't quite happy that I did it. Do I need any connections in Atlanta? I haven't had many buyers here in this city. My experience here hasn't been good, but from time to time I like to show my face at some of the local events, just to see.

I see that I simply need to stay focused on promoting my work to galleries here in America and abroad. No need to go backwards, and that's how I felt last night. I won't do any show, not any longer, just for the sake of networking, especially not in Atlanta.

All in all the event appeared to be successful for the promoters and the other advertisers. The artists were left to their own devices. We were not even acknowledged throughout the event and that was definitely unfortunate.

I live with no regrets and I'm thankful for all of the things that happen because they always give me clarity.

Review of my recent exhibition in Syracuse, NY., Three Sisters: The art of Sonya A. Lawyer, Robin Holder and Tamara Natalie Madden

2009-04-25T15:52:00.000-07:00

Uneven show by 3 African-American women offers food for thought at Community Folk Art Center in Syracuse

Sunday, April 19, 2009

KATHERINE RUSHWORTH

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

There are themes that resonate throughout the history of art and literature. One's place in the world, the dynamics of family and the role history plays in shaping a culture influence the visual narrative and story lines of many a work of art. Among specific communities, the ethnicity of an artist adds to the individual voice by coloring the work in profoundly personal ways.

A three-person exhibition on view at the Community Folk Art Center through May 2 examines these issues in distinctly different styles and media. The show, titled "Three Sisters: The Art of Robin Holder, Sonya A. Lawyer and Tamara Natalie Madden," features the works of these three unrelated, contemporary African-American artists, who engage collaged prints, photographic transfers and mixed- media paintings, respectively, as their form of visual expression.

The success of each of these artists' bodies of work depends upon the range of her artistic voice as she explores her individual themes. One-note themes and interpretations can become monotonous over the course of an exhibition, which is where this show separates the interesting work from the not-so-memorable work. If an artist doesn't recognize when he or she has maximized an idea, then the artist and the viewer pay the price.

Such is the case with Lawyer's photographic transfers. Lawyer employs vintage photos as her subject matter and as a vehicle for reclaiming lost identities. She appropriates portraits of unidentified African-American men and women whose individual photos have been ripped from albums and then resold as individual images. Lawyer transfers these images onto squares of multihued fabrics, often hand-dyed, and then arranges them in formal and usually symmetrical configurations as a way to piece back their identities.

They suggest a Warhol-like treatment of the portrait, but they lack the imagination and variety of Warhol's approach. With a few exceptions, most of Lawyer's works seemed to be singing the same predictable song.

Holder's works, although providing more visual and narrative interest than Lawyer's, aren't without drawbacks. Her series of mixed-media collages titled "Behind Each Window, A Voice," explores the personal histories of her Brooklyn neighbors. Through the combination of painting, collage and printmaking techniques, Holder recounts tales of victimization, child rearing and assimilation by the first- and second-generation immigrants she encounters.

While I found her inspiration and much of her execution to be commendable, Holder's use of cutout flaps as window shutters on some of the pieces seemed trite and diminished the work's aesthetic and conceptual effectiveness. I also wanted the presentation of the 17-by-11-inch pieces to be taken more seriously. The works are unframed and without glass (due to the cutout flaps, I assume), which gives them an unfinished quality.

Madden's regal portraits provide the most consistent and satisfying read in the show. Here again we see the idea of identity, or lack of it, serving as the springboard for an artistic voice. Madden engages unidentified "everyday folk" and raises them to the stature of "kings, queens and warriors who never had a chance to shine."

She does this by ornamenting them in gold, a la her inspiration Gustav Klimt, effectively dressing them in patchworks of fabric, situating them in mostly soothing environments and bestowing some of them with Mannerist qualities elongated and exaggerated arms and legs. Other subjects stand as metaphors for larger concerns. While Madden approaches her figures reverently, she is not afraid to use them as a tool to point a finger at the barbs of racism.

This show, while uneven, does offer some interesting ideas to ponder. It also provides viewers with an opportunity to compare how three artists handle a body of similar themes. It's disappointment is that some of the artists don't push their media or their ideas far enough.

Katherine Rushworth, of Cazenovia, is a former director of the Michael C. Rockefeller Arts Center (State University College at Fredonia) and of the Central New York Institute for the Arts in Education.

Cooperative and more!

2009-04-25T14:20:00.000-07:00

Tamara Natalie Madden

I use my full name for a reason. There are other artists who share my name and it's the best way to avoid confusion. When you look me up, please look for Tamara Natalie Madden.

Occasionally, Tamara Madden is used. My gallery, www.aviscafineart.com, uses Tamara Madden and I have an upcoming show in LA at the Pounder-Kone Art Space, and they used Tamara Madden. I try, however, to use my full name at all times.

If you're in LA, come see the show. Opening reception Saturday, May 9, 2009. Check out www.cchpkas.com for details.

I've attached some new pieces. I have a lot of work to do. So many ideas running through my head.

Enclosed, 2009 SOLD

Majestic, 2009 SOLD

Superiors, 2009 SOLD

Visit www.tamaranataliemadden.com to see more art.

The Art and Musings of Tamara Natalie Madden

"Birds of a Feather" Giclees Available!

Endings=New Beginnings!

Nina-I shall be released

BLACKFACE: A SERIES

Full Circle: Solo Exhibition by Tamara Natalie Madden at Avisca Fine Art Gallery

Full Circle: Solo Exhibition by Tamara Natalie Madden at Avisca Fine Art Gallery

Jamaican-Born Atlanta Artist defies the odds to Celebrate 10 years of Art-Making

Full Circle - A solo exhibition of new works by artist Tamara Natalie Madden.

Quotes of the Week-Truth

An article about my work written by Tiffany Nicole Slade for On-Verge

Everyday Heroes: Behind the Art of Tamara Natalie Madden

Goldilocks (2011) by Tamara Natalie Madden (30″ x 40″, acrylic and mixed media on canvas)

Of Royal Lineage (2010) by Tamara Natalie Madden (48″ x 24″, acrylic and mixed media on canvas)

Rastaman Chant (2007) by Tamara Natalie Madden (30″ x 20″, acrylic and mixed media on canvas)

Mama and Bringle (2007) by Tamara Natalie Madden (18″ x 24″, acrylic and mixed media on canvas)

Sankofa (2008) by Tamara Natalie Madden (48″ x 24″, acrylic and mixed media on canvas)

Mystic (2008) by Tamara Natalie Madden (36″ x 24″, acrylic and mixed media on canvas)

Paradise (2011) by Tamara Natalie Madden (30″ x 20″, acrylic and mixed media on canvas)

A little story about why I paint birds!

oh sweet creativity!

Art Galleries and Artists of the South

McDonald's 365 Black Feature

Exotic Beauties and Birds at the Catherine Kelleghan Gallery through June 2011

Exotic Beauties and Birds

Presented by:Catherine Kelleghan GalleryLocation:Catherine Kelleghan Gallery6/7/2011 – 6/30/2011Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Event Description

Ticket Information

Venue Information

Quote of the Week

CCH Pounder Presents: Material World, Spiritual World

Signs that help you know that you are on your path

Desiderata

A Time, A Season-A Visual Tribute to Oprah Winfrey

THE NEW WEBSITE!

The Evolution of Lauryn Hill

The Inspired Artist

Comments on!

Happy New Year!

The Last Post of 2010!

Busy as a Bee!

Ugh! Racism-Alive and Well!

THE BLACK QUEEN

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Black Art in America

Oh Glorious Pastels!

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

A Woman's Work

In Black and White

An Interview with Black Girl's Rock Inc.

In Living Color: An Interview with Artist Tamara Natalie Madden

~Sigh~

The Urban Jungle

Stop

Lamentation pour Haïti

Zenith of Zebulon ©

Toyin Odutola {A Master in the Making}

From Whence I Came

Too "Black" Art

The Dreamer: An Upscale Magazine article

"Stop Acting Rich...and Start Living like a Real Millionaire!

Happy Holidays!

Fine Art Photography

Mixed Media

I'm so Weebly!

A few new Mixed Media Pieces!

Food for Thought

New Paintings!

New Mixed Media Pieces!

Kings&Queens

Nicole Pritchett's Visionary Work

Pangeas

Tamara Natalie Madden...Renaissance Woman

Interview with Jamaicans.com

The ODD Truth

Indiefied, Again.

Friday, September 12, 2008

Indiefied- Tamara Natalie Madden

Presented by:
Catherine Kelleghan Gallery
Location:
Catherine Kelleghan Gallery
6/7/2011 – 6/30/2011
Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.