Lifelong artist, writer, and cowgirl Madison K. Thames grew up riding horses and dreaming up stories in Birmingham, Alabama. After graduating from Auburn University in 2018 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, she returned home to Birmingham and launched her career as a professional artist, further developing her chosen mediums of oil painting and pencil drawing. Her favorite subjects are people and horses, the vast majority of her works focusing on portraiture and action-packed scenes showcasing cowboy grit, ranch life, and all things rodeo. A lover of history and romance, Madison is also the author of Sunset Legends, a series of epic Western novels about finding faith, love, and adventure on the American frontier. 

Madison specializes in bold, dynamic art that celebrates the Western lifestyle. For her, rodeo represents more than mere entertainment. She believes strongly in the values and traditions the sport champions—those of faith, family, and love of country. Each brushstroke and mark of her pencil captures the raw athleticism, flying dirt, and split-second tension of the arena. From the twist of a bucking bull's spine to the clenched teeth of the cowboy tied to his back, her powerful compositions don't just depict a sport; they honor a heritage.

In 2026, Madison was chosen to be the official poster artist for the historic Pendleton Round-Up. Her relentlessly authentic portrayals of both roughstock and timed events have also earned her a place in the private collections of PRCA and PBR World Champions, including J.B. Mauney, Stetson Wright, Ky Hamilton, and Rocker Steiner. When champions in the arena choose your pieces to represent their proudest achievements and gold-buckle memories, that stands as the ultimate testament to the artistic truth of your work.

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Through her original pieces, prints, and award-winning novels, Madison seeks to bridge the gap between high-end fine art investment and rodeo culture—doing her part to preserve the enduring legacy of the cowboy and keep the spirit of the West alive for years to come.