By Holly Tishfield
If you’re big into the art scene on social media, you might have seen one of Maddie Grace Maierhofer’s painting videos come across your screen. She’ll begin the video by mapping out objects in a base layer of pink or red paint, then slowly but surely fill in the scene with pops of greens, blues, yellows and oranges until you’ve watched an entire still life come alive through the screen in a matter of seconds.
Of course, her painting process takes a little bit longer than a handful of minutes, but the result is utterly unique, and one that caught the eye of Olivia Dries, a gallerist at Ponte Vedra’s Hillary Whitaker Gallery.
“When they reached out, I was honored; I had actually been following them for a while,” Maierhofer said. “It’s an honor to be in such a thoughtfully curated gallery amongst other incredible artists. I have had such a lovely welcome from the Ponte Vedra community.”
Although Maierhofer’s work hangs on the walls of this Ponte Vedra gallery, the artist is based in Savannah, Georgia. She earned a bachelor’s degree in art with a minor in art history from Georgia Southern University, though her journey with the medium began many years before.
As a child, Maierhofer grew up surrounded by art. She spent time in beautiful spaces curated by her mother and grandmother and was regularly encouraged to pursue her creative nature. At just 15 years old, she began creating and selling paintings with support from the community, and the rest is history.
Maierhofer’s works, and style in general, are heavily influenced by color. She’s inspired by Impressionists and the Abstract Expressionist movement, Helen Frankenthaler and Elaine de Kooning in particular.
“My mind is often turning, thinking of what combinations will play well with each other,” she said. “It also keeps me on my toes. It’s the perfect intellectual challenge that excites me to pick up a brush. Your spark might be puzzles or mahjong, but mine is how to convey a translucent lemon.”
Maierhofer’s influences are clear in her work, which features bright, dreamy paintings of florals, foods and drinks.
The collection at Hillary Whitaker Gallery is an extension of her typical style, inspired by happy gatherings, dinner parties, cocktails in the kitchen and Sunday lunch. It took her a few months to complete, though she hopes it conveys “a lifetime of memories.”
“There is something so idyllic about congregating with your favorite people,” Maierhofer said. “My fondest memories surround a table filled with clinking glasses, an abundance of ‘cheers’ usually followed by laughter.”
If Maierhofer had her way, she would be painting from dawn until dusk, but being a successful artist also involves being a savvy business owner. Maierhofer handles her own administrative work, particularly social media marketing and management. A large portion of her sales come from Instagram, while many of her videos on TikTok reach views in the thousands or millions.
Several of Maierhofer’s pieces are available at Hillary Whitaker Gallery, including “Garden Party,” a work inspired by memories of exploring her grandmother’s backyard and eating what her family grew from the garden.
“I hope my viewers will think of wonderful memories of their own. I love that art is a chance to escape the woes of the world or bring a smile to your face as you walk by,” Maierhofer said of her aspirations for the collection. “What an honor it is to create something that someone loves so much they choose to place it in their home.”