Hi! My name is Maddie Duderstadt, and I’m the artist behind Mad Dude Art. My goal is to create meaningful, accessible art for everyone. I believe that simply put, ‘true art’ is pure expression. For some people, it’s music, writing, baking, even coding! My art, the way I express myself, happens to be by using my hands to paint, draw, and build. My art is an extension of myself; a piece of me goes into everything I create. My only wish as an artist is for my work to incite emotion within those viewing it.
-Maddie Duderstadt
Our Story
First, I’d like to assure you that I didn’t earn the nickname “Mad Dude” because I’m angry! As you can imagine, “Duderstadt” can be a little difficult to pronounce, especially on a field with a hundred other kids, so growing up most of my teachers and coaches simplified it to “Dude.” Most of my friends simply call me Mad, and so the nickname Mad Dude was born!
I have been passionate about art for as long as I can remember and have done a few “commissions” over the years, but never even dreamed of doing art full time. I am self taught, and have never taken any formal art classes beyond taking art as an elective in junior high. Although my family has always been supportive of my art, it was mostly an unspoken belief that art is a wonderful hobby. That being said, my oldest brother (Spencer) always encouraged me to find a way to do something professionally with art, since that was what always made me happiest.
While I had sold a couple of canvases over the years, I really hadn’t produced any art for most of my high school and early college years. That being said, I was still passionate about art and immensely enjoyed the little time I did spend creating. I noticed that many of my fellow college students were not spending a lot of their money on decorations. A lot of the young people I knew were interested in art, but couldn’t justify spending their limited funds on things they couldn’t actually use. So, I began brainstorming other (useful) things I could paint to make some extra cash on the side. All of my classes were online in the Spring of 2020, so I had the time, and I desperately needed to get my hands in some paint again.
Rolling Trays
In March of 2020, I bought four trays. I’m always thinking of how I can modify every day objects, be it painting, adding things, whatever. Trays can be used for so many different things, from organizing makeup or crystal collections, to accenting potted plants, to eating on, etc. Furthermore, I was in college and, consequently, knew a bunch of people that had a use for rolling trays (a tray to organize one’s smoking-related items). I thought it would be fun to paint a few designs and maybe even sell them to my friends if I was lucky! When I got home with my trays, I immediately started painting. Once I finished the first two (which would later become the inspiration for the Cloud Tray Collection) I posted it to Twitter and announced I’d be accepting custom orders. At this point, I still wasn’t even dreaming of doing this as an actual business. Let me tell you, I was NOT expecting what happened next!
People Wanted to Buy My Art!
I received tons of interest in the trays, and with it, tons of commission inquiries. I sold out of the original four the first night, but was still receiving orders. The next weekend, I drove back to Houston and picked up some more trays. I was still receiving orders! I was sure the interest would quickly die down, but in fact, the orders never stopped coming. By April I was able to pay my rent with my art, and by May, I was starting to play with the idea of pursuing this for real.
I Dropped Out
I have to admit, dropping out to pursue art was the cliché I did NOT prepare for during all of those dual credit classes I took in high school. In all seriousness, this was a difficult decision I came to with the full support of my family. With the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic and lack of safety measures my university planned to take, combined with the growing success of my small business, I decided to take a gap year beginning in the Fall of 2020. After my recent move to Bozeman, MT, I plan to transfer to Montana State University and pursue a business degree there. As we all know, a little business sense can never hurt an artist! I can’t wait to continue my education as a fourth generation bobcat this next fall.
Where We Are Now
Much like the rest of the year, the end of 2020 was an absolute whirlwind. I became closer with my aunt and uncle—who are both amazing artists—and at the end of September they invited me to come stay with them in Montana. By the end of October, I was loading my whole life into my little red car and driving nearly 2,000 miles to Belgrade, MT! Now that I’m finally settled, I spend my days either in the studio creating, helping out at a friend’s farm, or at the ski hill with my extremely talented uncle (mostly just trying not to fall)! I’m looking forward to getting busy in the New Year and can’t wait for everyone to see all the exciting things I have planned for 2021!
Donations Welcome!
While I never expect tips or donations, I always appreciate them! They really do mean a lot to me and make a huge difference to me as a small business owner.