So what's this all about anyway?

FAQ

Who are you?
My name's Whitney, I'm a 28-year-old artist/designer/pet portraitist/marketing padawan (I don't quite consider myself a "marketing jedi" yet...give me a few more years for that one) who lives in Tucson, Arizona, and who, uh...eats lots of salsa.  The rest is pretty self-explanatory from reading the blog and my website. 

What is your quest?
To make cool art that inspires people and makes them happy, to do fabulous pet portraits for people, to share fun ideas with people on this blog, and to have my art in homes and galleries in all corners of the world.  Also to visit all seven continents (four down, three to go! Next stop, Antarctica...?).

What is your favorite color?
Green.  The runner-up changes from day to day but today it's purple.


What the heck is Maxfield & Madison?
It's my pet portraiture business, but it's also the general trade name/business name that I use as an umbrella company for all my art and design ventures, whether the art is of pets or not.  If I were to have a physical storefront or a gallery I would probably call it Maxfield & Madison too.  The name comes from my corgi named Maddie, and my late great Brussels Griffon named Max.

Okay, cool...but how do I get one of these alleged "pet portraits"?
Either email me at maxfieldandmadison@gmail.com, or go to this page and fill out the form.  Pricing starts at $95 for a basic portrait and varies based on size, number of animals in the painting, and add-on details (want your Boston terrier to have a tutu on? That's $9).  The prices are pretty darn competitive with the pet portrait market that's out there.

What if I want to buy one of your stone paintings?
Then you can visit my Etsy store!  There are several up there now, and more coming soon, as well as some other cool things I make.

How do I get your other art?
If you want an original, contact me for pricing and availability.  For a print, visit my print store, and for a t-shirt, mug, or other goodness, visit my Society6 store.


What the heck does "art shack" mean anyhow?
I have a one-room guest house behind my house that my husband and I use as a studio, and I call it the Art Shack.  Has a sign and everything, that's how you know it's official. ;)

What's Inspired Monday?
A little feature I do to combat the Monday doldrums...I pick a random thing that's inspiring me that week and do a post about it.  It could be anything, from shoes to weather to an artist I like, there's really no limits.

I have an idea for Inspired Monday - can I submit it?
Go for it.  You can email or tweet it to me: @maxfieldmaddie, using the hashtag #inspiredmonday.

You mention [company] a lot - they're totally paying you for that, right?
Hahaha, nope.  None of my posts are sponsored posts, but if I ever have any, I'll always be totally transparent about it.  I will sometimes have Amazon affiliate links, if I'm posting about products I've bought from there that I like, and you can tell which links are affiliate links because they're the ones that start with "amzn.to" in the URL.

Hey wait, I am [company] that you mention, or another company your viewers should know about!  Can we pay you to post stuff?
It depends - tell me about it and we'll see.  If I think it's relevant and I like it, sure!

How does one become an artist, anyway?  Any advice?
Just, uh...art a lot!  Paint what you want, not just what you think would be trendy or popular - just get good at doing your particular style, and the following will come later.  Although I have a degree, I don't think it should be strictly required - just take some classes or find mentors if you want to improve your skills.  Visit lots of galleries and arts/crafts fairs and shops, to see what other artists and artisans in your area are doing.  Take every opportunity that you find for the first few years, and apply to every gallery and festival and show you can!  But also maintain a (low-stress, non-overtime) day job while you're just starting out.  And then start a blog and website for promotions.  And link it to mine. ;)

What is your favorite pizza topping?
Tomato and sausage.  Or just cheese.  Lots and lots of cheese.