About

Hello! I'm Madeline Halsey, a mixed media artist, home chef, craft bartender and overall maker. I grew up surrounded by art in a suburb of Hartford, Connecticut and was constantly encouraged to pursue my love of painting and drawing by my parents, teachers, mentors and friends. When it came to deciding on a university, I fell in love with the city of Philadelphia, a hub of creators and artists. I found a small school with a strong history and reputation in the textile world and became fascinated with the industry and the process. At Philadelphia University I devoted my undergraduate career to fine arts as well as the major textile design disciplines of weaving, knitting, and printing fabric. This is where Fruits of Our Labor was born.

After graduation, I spent a summer living alone on the small island of Vinalhaven off the coast of Maine. In Philly I always felt so anxious and rushed, so I jumped at the chance to move to this remote island for the summer and spend some serious time alone, reflecting and relearning how to slow down and take care of myself. I lived above a cheese shop where I worked for the summer learning about the process of making and aging cheese, different types of cheeses, and how to identify tasting notes. I spent a lot of time at a friend's homestead watching her take care of her goats, turning their milk into a light, fresh, and lemony goat cheese, unlike anything I've ever had before. She tended to gorgeous and plentiful gardens all over the property, feeding us only with what came from their land. I learned from Vinalhaven my food philosophy. I wanted to eat seasonally and locally and learn how to cook sustainably.

After the time I spent in Vinalhaven I moved to Vermont. Fast forward 5 years, and I've been lucky enough to forge a career out of my two true loves, cooking and art. I spent the last 2 years working at a well known gin distillery creating cocktails with local ingredients. I was lucky enough to land this creative job but still craved an outlet for my own art and cooking. So I created the Halsey Supper Club, a newsletter and space to share recipes, stories, photographs, and art with friends and artists alike! After a few years of self discovery, today I am here making art again. I’m making art the same way I did over a decade ago, painting with a blend of realistic and abstract motifs, beading and embroidering, and celebrating the female form.

Living in Vermont I have fallen in love with the idea of working and truly living seasonally. I am overwhelmed by the incredible produce I am able to grow here and continue to offer my culinary services in the warm summer months. But as the leaves start to fall and snow is on the horizon I hunker down into a hibernation and paint and create art all winter long.

Along with selling my original pieces, prints in a range of sizes are available to purchase all year round. Thank you for making it here, and I hope my art, whether edible or not, brings you endless amounts of joy!