Jill Madden grew up in coastal Rhode Island and currently lives in Weybridge, Vermont. She received a BA in East Asian Studies from Middlebury College, attended the New York Studio School, received a post-baccalaureate degree in Fine Art from Brandeis University and an MFA in painting from Boston University, where she held a Constantin Alajov Scholarship and studied with John Walker and John Moore. While a resident at the Vermont Studio School she studied with Lois Dodd, who remains an important influence. Jill has been a fellow at the Jentel Foundation, the Fairfield Porter Foundation, the Baer Art Center and the Pouch Cove Foundation. Madden paints primarily onsite, observing seasonal and climatic shifts.