Today we’d like to introduce you to Maureen McAfee.
Maureen, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
As a kid growing up, I was always a doodler. There would never be a notebook, worksheet, or coloring book not touched by my glittery crayons. Taking art class was my favorite part of going to school and I was always that nerdy girl who took her art projects too seriously. It wasn’t until my senior year of high school when I decided that what I wanted more than anything was to pursue a creative career. By the following spring I was officially enrolled at Massachusetts College of Art And Design.
Fast track a few years and I’m now majoring in Illustration and am finishing up my Junior year. My time at MassArt has been incredible so far and I can’t wait to see where my love for illustrating takes me next!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The biggest challenge starting out as an artist was that it was tough keeping up with school work and personal work while also working a part time job to pay for school. However my life has taken some crazy turns as of late. I’ve been lucky enough to be able to travel to London and Venice in this year alone and am looking forward to make some more trips to inspire my work this summer!
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Strokes of Midnight – what should we know?
It all started the summer between high school and college when I began posting these miniature paintings of Disney castles on Instagram. They became super popular within just a month and it was then when I decided to start up my Etsy shop and start selling these little paintings! Since then my work has progressed much more and I’ve been selling more original works and prints of the fun and whimsical illustrations from my sketchbook! I also sell smaller things like vinyl stickers and enamel pins.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I’ve found that it’s extremely important to remain optimistic and to keep moving forward. When you’re an artist, you have to create your own opportunities and go out there and just keep creating and making connections! Keeping up the healthy habit of sketching every day has been a major help to me as well and my art has improved so much more because of it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.theartofmaureenmcafee.com
- Phone: 7815392206
- Email: Mcmcafee@massart.edu
- Instagram: Thou_art_momo.instagram.com
- Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/thou_art_momo
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