Madison Squizzero was born in Westport, Massachussets in 1999. She received her BA in Studio Art with a Concentration in Painting from Salve Regina University in 2021. Her work has been included in various exhibits, including the Providence Art Club in Providence, RI, the Dorrance H. Hamilton Gallery in Newport, RI, the Dartmouth Cultural Center in Dartmouth, MA and the CVPA Campus Gallery in Dartmouth, MA. She currently lives and works in Westport, MA.
In many ways, horses are my escape from the outside world. I interact with them physically through riding and grooming, but a lot of my connection comes through emotional bonds that have been built over time and could never be replaced. My paintings are inspired by my lifelong involvement and interest in equine and the sport of equestrian. Growing up riding horses has instilled in me the love and appreciation for these beautiful animals and the way in which humans connect, bond, and form relationships with them. Much of my inspiration today comes from the relationship with my own horse, Umbra - a gentle, caring and loyal soul who has truly become my heart horse. Like people, every horse has an individual personality and unique characteristics that make them different from one another. This is why my work goes beyond pictures of horses. I am creating an emotionally rooted portrayal of the animal’s individual beauty and personality. Capturing these qualities within my work allows me to fully bring each individual subject to life.
I depict the organic moments I experience during my own personal encounters with these animals. The moments that we often let pass without a second thought that hold such emotional and sentimental value. Not only are these animals sheer in size, but they are gentle in nature. They choose to lend themselves to us physically, mentally and emotionally. That is in part what makes them so incredible. Their willingness to work alongside us as an equal team despite our indisputable physical differences. My paintings create something emotionally anchored, that allows viewers to contemplate horses from a different perspective and in a contextual lens which contrasts how they are usually depicted.
My work begins with taking my own reference photographs, capturing the exact moments I feel need to be shared with the world. My paintings tend to vary in size, ranging from 8 x 10 to life sized, and possibly even larger. I will often project my pieces onto an oversize panel and play around with different projection sizes. I find this allows each painting to truly let its voice be heard. I work primarily with oil paint on wood panel, but I have adventured into watercolor, graphite, acrylic paint, ink, charcoal, and pastels.