How We Started
It all began in my college apartment in East Texas, while I was attending Stephen F. Austin State University. It had been a hard year, and a long while since I had done any art. I knew I wanted to start painting rolling trays, but I had no idea it would end up becoming a full time job! I am so thrilled to share with you all the story of how Mad Dude Art came to be.
Rolling Trays?
In early March of 2020, I bought four trays. I’m going to be frank here: I know a lot of folks who have use for a designated surface to keep their “paraphernalia” organized. When I got home, a couple of my friends came over to have a crafting night and I started painting what would become the first Cloud Tray. Before I could even finish, my sweet friend Lanie asked if I had plans for that tray. When I told her I was hoping to sell it, she offered to buy it from me as soon as it was done. She ended up being Mad Dude Art’s very first customer!
Cloud Trays
This one was a bit of a rough draft compared to the rest of the Cloud Tray Series, but I still love her dearly! It was so much fun playing with the colors and composition of this tray.
Skyline Trays
Once I finished the first two trays, I posted them on my Twitter account and announced I would be accepting custom orders. Allie, another dear friend, made the first request: the Austin skyline with a cool background. Her tray became the template for my collection of Skyline Trays, which I now offer in warm colors (like the original) and cool colors.
Groovy, Baby!
The forth tray was a very different style than the other three, but I wanted to broaden my samples a little bit. The customer asked for a tray that was “groovy and trippy” with lots of color. After a brief consultation, we decided to do multicolored drips complimented by black and white drips. Though time consuming (as you might suspect), I love the outcome of this style. Variations can be found in several of my favorite pieces!