Aline Bergeron
November 11, 2015
Q&A Meet Lois Cantrelle
November 11, 2015
Muriel H. Madise stumbled upon her hidden talents later in life, but that hasn’t stopped the artist from capturing the beauty of Louisiana’s swamps.
“I got into painting in February 2011,” said Madise, a Morgan City resident who began dabbling with art at the age of 57. “I was trying to find out what my gifts are. My son is autistic and he’s been able to play the piano since he was 3 years old and I always watched him and thought about what I could do.”
She found painting relaxing, eventually focusing on flowers and landscapes. The nature theme transpires on both canvas and in her photographs, another skill she has honed since receiving a camera from her husband as a Mother’s Day gift.
Although the artist starts each piece with a general sense of what will be created, Madise said she is often surprised by what appears when she steps back from the work.
“The one that surprised me the most is ‘Vision Over Flat Lake,”‘ Madise said of the oil painting, which features a spirit peering out from swampy scenery. “I painted that one at 2:00 in the morning.”
The piece, part of the Madise’s exhibit, which runs through Nov. 30 and is riddled with imagery of alligators, birds and the like, was the artist’s first sell and earned her the 2014 Samuel Fisher Merit Award in the “Oils” category. The award is named in honor of the late Morgan City artist and is handed out annually during the Louisiana Shrimp and Petroleum Festival.
Her photos also reflect the artist’s knack for capturing other worldly spirits, her most awe-inspiring one to date captured near Lake Palourde. While photographing nesting seagulls, Madise captured a face reminiscent of her lake painting, a figure later revealed at the local photo store that looks like a woman from another era with long, wavy black hair watching over the area.
Although much of her life was spent working in as a secretary, Madise said she has always had a desire to use her creativity and only wishes she had pursued her passion sooner. In addition to painting and photography, she also holds several awards for the best Christmas lights in the Morgan City area. Madise said now that she has taken the step to put more of her work out there, she hopes to continue showing the public all that the bayou region has to offer.
“My grandmother used to tell me, ‘The swamp has a life of its own,’ she recalled. “I’m inclined to believe that now.”
