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Hi! I'm Madeline. "mad" for short.
And I am short. 5'2", to be approximate.
I was born 4 weeks early in Urbana, Illinois. (It is for this reason I am now late to most events, to make up for gained time and keep the universe in balance.)
I remember tromping all over the University of Illinois campus with my parents and younger sister for the first six years of my life, and playing in the fountains even though we probably weren't supposed to. I started drawing when I was very small, and somewhere I have a picture of a humpback whale that I drew on a manila envelope when I was 3.
When I was 6, we moved to Winnebago, IL. We had a lovely home with a sand pit that my younger sister and I would use for wild desert adventures with our plastic Disney characters and a basement we could rollerblade around in. At night we would watch Muzzy and Rick Steves while dreaming of Paris.
When I was 9, we moved to Wynnewood, OK, to be near my mom's parents, but moved back to Illinois a year later, right as Y2K hit. I remember my parents huddled quietly over the computer as the clock struck midnight and nothing in particular happened.
In the summer of 2006 (I was 16), my parents and sister and I finally visited Europe–5 weeks in a RV! Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium, France, England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and Switzerland. It was 95 degrees and wonderful and stressful and beautiful and surreal and everything I’d hoped for.
I graduated high school in 2008 having never taken an art class, but the margins of all my notebooks were filled with sketches.
I attended the University of Oklahoma from 2008 to 2013, where I majored in Environmental Engineering... then Political Science... then Mathematics... then Math Education... and finally, Environmental Sustainability. After 5 years in school, I earned my Bachelor of Science and started work as a temp for the State of Oklahoma (Oklahoma Corporation Commission)--georeferencing historical aerial photos. I still work for the OCC today, only now in a full-time position as the Brownfield Program Project Coordinator.
I am an artist with a day job, and I love it.
I started painting in 2016, after 26 years of studying and working in non-art fields. As you may guess from my loudly-colored canvases, peace and stability have never been attractive to my brain. I prefer their rowdier cousins–elation and excitement. To me, the world feels muted until the roar of a concert or a new tattoo or my first view of the Rocky Mountains or winning an award lights up my brain with electric pink sparks.
After reading that last sentence, it should come as no surprise to you that at age 31, I was diagnosed with ADHD.
There’s
not enough room in this bio to describe the relief this diagnosis has provided
for me, especially when treating it did not dull my artistic sense, but rather
enhanced it.
I still chase dopamine, as you’ll see in my paintings. My subjects are scenes that lit me up when I looked at them—my brain fizzing like strawberry Fanta. The vivid colors in my hyperchromic scenes are meant to convey that feeling to the viewer. If you ever want to visit my painted scenes and see for yourself, all of my Place paintings have GPS coordinates on the back, for your traveling convenience.
CV
Education
2020 - Present
Not Sorry Art School with Sari Shryack - https://www.notsorryartschool.com/ - Continuous virtual classes
2020
Southwest Landscapes with Brad Price - Norman, OK, USA - 1-Day Workshop, February 2020
Portrait Painting with Behnaz Sohrabian - Midwest City, OK, USA - 1-Day Workshop, January 2020
Spontaneous Realism with Matthew Paden - Midwest City, OK, USA - 1-Day Workshop, February 2020
2019
Portrait Academy with Jeff Hein - Oklahoma City, OK, USA - 2-Day Workshop, October 2019
2012
Universidad Veritas - San Jose, Costa Rica - Summer courses in Marine Biology and Spanish Conversation - June & July 2012
2008-2013
University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA - B.S. Environmental Sustainability - Planning and Management
The Artists
under whom I've been lucky enough to study.
SARI SHRYACK
Not Sorry Art School
MATTHEW PADEN
Spontaneous Realism Portraits
BRAD PRICE
Southwest Painting
BEHNAZ SOHRABIAN
Portraits
Caroline kwas
She kindly answers my questions about singing color. She travels in an awesome camper van and does her own home renovations. In short, she is a magical badass.
Sam Thiewes
After only knowing me for about half an hour, Caroline convinced him to give me a ride from the Arizona Fine Art Expo to Scottsdale, because I was hesitant to take a long Uber ride after a bad experience up to the Expo. He gave me all sorts of art advice on the ride to Scottsdale, and I am very grateful to him for not booting me out of the car to get some peace and quiet.
Solo Exhibitions
PLACES NEAR, FAR, AND FANTASTIC
Leslie Powell Gallery - Lawton, OK, USA July - August 2022
THE ESCAPE: AN ILLUSTRATED SHORT STORY IN THREE PARTS
Pauls Valley Public Library - Pauls Valley, OK, USA - March - May 2022
ESTATE SALE SHOW
1356 Tarman Circle - Norman, OK, USA - October 2021
ICELAND (PART II)
Studio Ink - Norman, OK, USA - December 2021
ICELAND (PART I)
Studio Ink - Norman, OK, USA - September 2021
FOCUS.
Norman Public Library - Norman, OK, USA - September 2016
Group Exhibitions
Fall Member Show
Penn Square Mall, Oklahoma City, OK, USA. With the Oklahoma Art Guild. September 2022
Together
The Art Hall, Oklahoma City, OK. With the
Oklahoma Art Guild.
March 2022
Small
Works Show
The Art Hall, Oklahoma City, OK, USA. With
the Oklahoma Art Guild.
February 2022
View
28
Strata Tower, Oklahoma City, OK, USA. With
various artists.
Jan-March 2022
Holiday
Market
The Vault, Pauls Valley, OK, USA With various
artists, including Irmgard Geul.
December 2021
OVAC Art Crawl
Various locations, Norman, OK, USA. With the
Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition.
October 2021
Fall
Member Show
Penn Square Mall, Oklahoma City, OK, USA.
With the Oklahoma Art Guild.
September 2021
Lawton
Tomato Festival Art Show
Leslie Powell Art Gallery, Lawton, OK, USA.
With various artists.
July 2021
Small
Works Show
The Art Hall, Oklahoma City, OK, USA. With
the Oklahoma Art Guild.
February 2021
OVAC
Art Crawl
Various locations, Norman, OK, USA. With the
Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition.
June 2020
MDAG
Anthony’s Art Show
Anthony’s TV & Appliance, Midwest City,
OK, USA. With the Mid-Del Art Guild.
November 2019
Savvy
Palette Bold & Vivid Art Show
Water’s Edge Winery, Oklahoma City, OK, USA.
With various artists, including Jason Wilson.
May 2019
Arts
Trek
Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art, Shawnee, OK, USA.
With various artists.
Mar-April 2019
Arts
‘N Action Festival
Tillman County Courthouse Square, Frederick,
OK, USA. With various artists.
September 2018
2nd
Friday Art Walk
Main Street, Norman, OK, USA. With various
artists.
April, May, & August 2018
Paseo
Art Festival
Shakespeare in the Park, Oklahoma City, OK,
USA. With the Mid-Del Art Guild.
May 2018
Interstellar
Bruja Reading and Art Party
RESONATOR, Norman, OK, USA. With various artists.
March 11, 2018
Small
Art
Paseo Art Space, Oklahoma City, OK, USA. With
various artists.
December 2017
REBEL
REBEL
RESONATOR, Norman, OK, USA. With various
artists.
December 2017
Arts
‘N Action Festival
Tillman County Courthouse Square, Frederick,
OK, USA. With various artists.
September 2017
Pancakes
& Booze Art Show
Farmers Public Market, Oklahoma City, OK,
USA. With various artists.
September 2017
2nd
Friday Art Walk
Main Street, Norman, OK, USA. With various
artists.
March, April, May, June, November 2017
Arts
‘N Action Festival
Tillman County Courthouse Square, Frederick,
OK, USA. With various artists.
September 2016
Legacy
Park Arts Day
Legacy Park, Norman, OK, USA. With various
artists.
October 2016
Pancakes
& Booze Art Show
Farmers Public Market, Oklahoma City, OK,
USA. With various artists.
September 2016
2nd
Friday Art Walk
Main Street, Norman, OK, USA. With various
artists.
June, July, August, September, October,
November, December 2016
Membership & Leadership
PRESIDENT - 2018-2021
WEBMASTER - 2017-2022
Press
Williams, Payton. “Madeline Dillner creates a world of color at Leslie Powell Gallery.” Lawton Constitution. Regular circulation. July 3, 2022.
https://www.swoknews.com/styles/madeline-dillner-creates-a-world-of-color-at-leslie-powell-gallery/article_f97b5bfa-c528-5d2e-8efc-98419967f2a3.html
Hill, Doug. “For Dillner, science intersects art.” Norman Transcript. Regular circulation, Jan. 26, 2018.
https://www.normantranscript.com/ntown/for-dillner-science-intersects-art/article_dde8ba35-47f7-5878-bc27-9c7f2488f5a4.html
Chastain, Clair. “Alumni Spotlight.” A&GS Spotlights. Online. July 16, 2021.
https://www.ou.edu/ags/news-events/spotlights
Representation
Gallery 123
123 E. Main St., Norman, OK, USA
Studio Ink
200 E. Main St., Norman, OK, USA
Sea Shanty Scuba & Swim
116 E. Main St., Norman, OK, USA
I make art for explorers and explorers at heart.
