Meet Sherri Madison

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sherri Madison.

Hi Sherri, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Growing up in the Army, my family moved often. There were always moving boxes laying around. My brother and I would make everything from them, from forts to toys to furniture to games. I got quite good at manipulating recycled cardboard. I also continued to study traditional art throughout my childhood, always with a deep passion for nature and worldly issues. Military children tend to see the world on very global scale from an incredibly young age.

Later, as an adult and full-time artist, it occurred to me that packaging was quickly becoming a global recycling issue. Once the 2020 Covid 19 pandemic hit, the overabundance of boxes arriving at everyone’s doorsteps was a visual queue of my childhood passion, and I quickly pivoted from more traditional oil painting to working with cardboard. The best way I could think to bring awareness to reducing and reusing during this time was through my art. I began creating fine art from recycled boxes as well as some more simple projects I could teach people to make themselves at home. Predominantly using gouache, which is a highly eco-friendly paint, helps make my work even more sustainable. It has become extremely fulfilling showing the world what amazing things can be done with cardboard and that it does not need to go in the trash!

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
While my art continues to sell, people don’t seem to appreciate cardboard in the same way they do oil paintings. So monetarily, it has been a bit of a challenge. I am committed to it though and feel that eventually when in-person shows are happening again, I will be able to reach a wider audience. This type of 3D art is very hard to “see” online, so that has really been my main struggle. Once people see it in person, they are pretty excited about it.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I have been an oil painter since I was 11. However, my concentration now is on sustainable art, predominantly recycled cardboard. I have also begun exploring other found objects such as cork and plastic. I think I stand apart from the crowd a little in that most cardboard artists are working with new material. I will only use recycled medium. I really want to encourage people to recycle by visually showing them the beauty of overlooked objects such as cardboard. I am really proud of my new couture, wearable art designs and hoping to really explore and do a deep dive into that next year. Another current focus is my Diamond Series, portraying the world’s most famous diamonds juxtaposed on recycled cardboard, further highlight the issue of waste and consumption. The truth is, both diamonds and cardboard are from the earth, and both are recycled! My work continues to evolve, but all with the aim of bringing attention to reusing, reducing and recycling.

How do you think about luck?
I think you make your own luck. It reminds me of the old Picasso quote – “Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.” Opportunities have certainly presented themselves to me, but I am a workhorse and I am always networking.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.sherrimadison.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realsherrimadison/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/realsherrimadison
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnbwuW60pt0tJ57-MSQfDIw

Image Credits
All photos by Nicolette Lambright