Check Out Madison Pollard’s Story

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

Hi Madison, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
Mad Kitchen Co. started out as a food and travel blog while I was living in Europe back in 2017-19, originally just named ‘The Mad Kitchen’. There was a clear passion for documenting cuisine and travels through writing and photography, but I also wanted to offer artwork inspired by these themes in an Etsy shop to complement my blog. The love for learning about other cultures and people around the world through food and travel offered a unique way to translate my experiences to the medium of illustration. While the blog never took off in any major way, I continued dabbling in these interests and practicing my hand at differing illustrations. 

Fast forwarding to 2020, I had returned to the US, now employed by a restaurant group in Richmond, Virginia, where I had formerly worked as a pastry cook. Working as the in-house artist in addition to playing a role on the management team provided a new experience. I loved being creative in a professional capacity and learning about running a small business. During these two years, I also gained a much better understanding of what people appreciated in terms of visual art. Furthermore, my desire to connect to those enthusiastic about food and small had not faded from the era of my blog. 

To put it simply, the early days of 2020 and the pandemic were a nerve-wracking time for the small business community. Uncertainty was everywhere, and we weren’t sure if the world we knew would look the same in days to come. I saw firsthand how hard business owners and teams had to work to keep their livelihoods going. It rocked me to the core to see the position they were in. When the threat of closing down became real for everyone, I began to realize and appreciate how much small businesses contributed to the culture of our local communities. I immediately wanted to convey this appreciation, culture, and celebration of community through my illustrations again. Illustrating became the essential outlet for me to find centeredness in the middle of the chaos of 2020. 

The real milestone to me felt like the creation of my Richmond Classics series, after which I never looked back. The public’s response to this series was overwhelming. It gave me the tools I needed to quit my full-time job and pursue my work as an independent artist. I began growing my collection of illustrations. The flagship series celebrated the unique mix that is Richmond, VA. I then began to illustrate individual neighborhoods, celebrating their unique nuances and backgrounds. This all culminated into an actual small business, Mad Kitchen Co. when I began to both expand my product selection and illustrate other cities. 

In 2021, I began working to establish Mad Kitchen Co. on the West Coast of the United States. While maintaining a presence on the East Coast through markets and retailers, I officially relocated to San Diego to explore new areas to illustrate. Growing my collection of designs on the west coast has been an incredible way to connect with the San Diego community, and I am still just scratching the surface of the beautiful businesses and food we are lucky to experience here. 

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Thanks to my experience in management and independently working on my blog, I learned to recognize initiative and accountability for myself early on. However, before I ever even considered working professionally in the creative field, I found myself in constant turmoil trying to figure out ‘what was next’. It’s always been extremely important to me to find work that I find fulfilling, and for years, I struggled over finding out exactly what that was. I studied international relations and homeland security in college with the hope of working in diplomacy. After graduating, it just never felt like the right time to move forward in that field. Living in Europe was supposed to be a means of pursuing that path. It’s ironic how my hobby during that time would eventually become a full-time passion and career. I wouldn’t be where I am without that opportunity to experiment and pursue my genuine interests without the pressure of a career or degree. 

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I create illustrations of our everyday surroundings using pen and watercolors. I think we underestimate the influence of those surroundings and small businesses on our everyday lives. My detailed, yet animated depictions of landmarks, sites, and restaurants pays homage to them. While I do enjoy working with either pen or watercolors alone, I find that the combination of both is where I hone my skill and personal style. While most artists rely on digital tools and programs to create their work – however similar of a concept to mine – my illustrations are originally created entirely by hand. I create my outlines free-handed with pencil; then fill in the outline with watercolor and go back over the outlines with black pen. I then scan my pieces and reprint them. I may clean up the image or color-correct in Photoshop or add tiny text digitally, but my prints are meant to look just like the original drawings. 

What also sets me apart is my interest in evoking nostalgia and memories for those who see my artwork. While a common conception of art is that it should evoke new ideas and/or make controversial statements, it’s nice to find a practical way to enjoy art. I want folks to re-live the essence of a place every time they look at one of my prints hanging on a wall. Capturing something this personal that can be shared by so many people is an incredible effect of visual art. 

I should probably add that on a personal level, I am proud to have finally found a path for myself making a living doing something I actually love and enjoy. I think that can be a really elusive goal to achieve and sometimes I can’t believe I actually made it work. It took a lot of time and frustration spent learning what I DON’T want to do before I got here – and that was an incredibly crucial part of the process. The cherry on top is that my work can make so many people happy. When I’m vending at the farmer’s markets, and I see folks’ reactions to my prints – when I see their smiles and eyes light up, I know I’m where I’m supposed to be and doing what I’m meant to do. 

So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
The short answer for me is traveling, seeing the world, and exploring new places. What we learn from those humbling experiences and getting out of your comfort zone, you can’t put a price on. I realize that this has always been an extremely important pursuit in my life – then, when I wanted to work in diplomacy and now, as an artist who communicates the unique identities of different places. 

But why is learning through exploration and exposure to other parts of the world so important? I think recognizing the value of our shared experiences as a community, city, society, etc. is what matters most to me and my artwork. Often, those shared experiences which end up connecting us as a community involve food, exploring new ideas, different traditions, and being exposed to new things, etc. Those are also what make a place unique and what I want to capture. 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.etsy.com/shop/madkitchenco
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madkitchen_co/
• Other: www.madisonpollard.com