Being so humble and artistically shy it's not easy for me to share big ta-doo's... but I'm just about jumping out of my skin. I have had some minor publications in Somerset Studio, but I currently have my very first serious spread in the May/June issue of Cloth Paper Scissors!!!
Maybe you remember my sweet mixed media egg owls, maybe you don't... but now you can make one of your very own, for in the current issue I have a how to article complete with step outs and an adjoining article! I am so excited, delighted, and happy to share the news with you!
Opening up the box that I knew contained my complimentary issues was a bit surreal... actually holding, leafing through, and seeing my work on glossy pages next to other talented artists was just mind blowing!! I am so thankful to Cloth Paper Scissors for giving me this opportunity and for being so friendly to work with. The magazine staff was kind and super responsive... they made it so easy! I hope to send them more artwork in the future in hopes of more publications.
Hope you pick up the magazine and have a look see, thank you to you if you do!!
If you love my owls and would like to give one a happy home, you can visit my etsy shop here.
Fingering through the pages of an old book, long forgotten and placed on the used book store shelves, it is my intent to bring home these words and transform them into my own. I sit, I snip, I place and rearrange... until the words flow into reflections of my insides turned out.
Poetry flows through my mind and out through my fingers. When I am satisfied I glue them into their final resting place, a natural toned brown journal.
As I sit with my books, I graze my eyes over the the pages looking for phrases, sentences, and single words that stick out only to me. It is my mind, my soul, and my heart that sees the words that are meant for me. I am fascinated with the thought that given the same pages, and someone else, that a whole 'nother set of words and phrases would evolve.
The words are waiting like seeds in the winter, suddenly given light and warmth... another chance to live.
This personal meditation gives me a sense of ease in a body that breathes anxiety. This time of self expression gives me the opportunity to dilute the rush of beating wings inside my chest.
Our day started in our own separate fluffy hotel beds, stretching out and saying to each other "what do we wanna do!?".
I have been driving in Texas!! HA! I'm a bad passenger and often find myself nauseated and feeling close to death. Okay maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration, but it feels like that when I am in the throws of a stomach turning bout of UGH! So yup, I've been driving! It's fun and Jax makes an awesome travel guide. It's so refreshing to not be on any type of schedule.
We go, do, and drink coffee whenever and wherever we want.
Breakfast at Starbucks and a drive onto the Galveston Ferry. I have never been on a ferry let alone drove a car up onto one! It was such an experience! Once securely on board and moving, we got out of the vehicle and perched over the edge of the boat. The laughing gulls chased us as the pelicans which I have aptly named aviators for their precise flying skill graced the sky off shore. Back in the car, driving off the ferry, we drove twenty or so miles on High Island where we checked out the local graveyard and after made our way to the beach and stayed for hours just combing through piles of shells looking for sea glass until we decided we were hungry and had to pee.
Turkey wraps, a soda I couldn't open, and a bag of chips and we were setting up camp back on the beach!
There are only so many chips you can eat in one sitting and we found the perfect way to use the rest... by sharing!
These feathered friends had extreme precision! After throwing chips to them we began to throw them straight into the air over our heads! These laughing gulls knew where it was at for sure!
We said goodbye to the beach, rode the ferry again, and drove back to Galveston and walked the strand. There I bought my first cowboy hat (straw one) and some souvenirs to bring back home. I have fallen in love with italian sodas which are flavor mixed with I think sparkling water. My first one was a lemon drop, yesterday I decided a perfectly pink strawberries and cream was in order. After a long day of adventure we two girls were worn the #$%# out. Crashing early back at Jacquie's humble abode was a immediate necessity.
I'm here!!! I'm in Texas, the flattest state Ive ever seen! As I sit across from my soul sister and artistic match - we sip our coffee, edit our photos, and chat about life.
There are smiles, a cardinal singing in the yard, and a husband at home who is doing his first real full day with all three children on his own (YOU CAN DO IT BABY!). Today will be a day at the beach, in shops, and then an over night just girls in our own hotel room. The world (or Texas) is our oyster!
The flight seemed to take forever. The airport a guessing game disaster if you asked me, but I do presume since I'm here that really it all went okay. I didn't expect for goodbyes in New York to be so hard... who was I to think I could just leave everyone, hop a plane, and not shed any tears!? Fantasy land. The worst was watching my husbands face get smaller and smaller and harder to see as I stood on the security line. Of course I did security wrong, almost forgot to take off my shoes, and was poked fun of by the security officers when I raised my hands over my head in the futuristic scanner. Needless to say my anxiety was running a muck! Literally dragging me up and down the coast of New Jersey.
Arriving at my gate I got on line to board and realized that I was not meant to be there yet, I did NOT want to end up in Chicago! So I did the walk of embarrassed shame, sat down with my adrenaline headache and nearly bawled. An hours wait found me pulling up my big girl panties to find some ibuprofen and a drink. A little jumping up and down in my head and a "I did it", and I was calming down a bit (thanks adrenaline crash). From there it was a delayed take off and being squished against the window by a larger than life line backer sort of fellow. Next to him sat a mouthy New Jersey-esque who did nothing but complain of texas, the flight, and advice on where to eat (complete with routes and street names). Did I mention the flight seemed to take for-eva!?
All was good when we landed and a sudden rush of excitement took over. My soul sister of more than 7 years awaited me just past security! There she was! We hugged, we squealed, and we headed straight for the nearest thrift outlet! (poppin' tagsssss). It's amazing how two people that jive so well via text and skype, jive so naturally in person too. It's like we have been with each other before, everything just fits!
It is in my opinion that EVERY friend should be a BEST friend. The people you take into your life should not be sub-par but everything you want in a friend. Treat each friend in your life like they are your only because they deserve that treatment. They love you, you love them, and love is not a half assed sort of emotion.
Jax is so wonderful in person! She's quirky, sweet, and has a little southern drawl. She raps in the car, carries her old starbucks cup into starbucks to throw it out and receive and newly brewed handful. Jax is petite, sweet, and silly as a lamb hopping through fresh spring grass. It's amazing to see all of her artwork in person! It's everywhere and reminds me of my own home with my artistic things strewn into every nook and cranny. Here I can actually touch her work, see all the in progresses, and kick her in the ass when I see there are new things that have not yet appeared in her etsy shop or blog (mmm hmmm guuuurl)
Visit Jacquies blog here to read about her side of our story and visiting adventures!
Yesterday found me scanning, perfecting, and listing a bunch of new work in my Etsy shop! Not to mention (okay I'm mentioning), that I moved a few older pieces into a sale section. I would love to keep them, but I would love even more for them to be enjoyed in someones home.
So take a trip on over to my shop and take a look at all of the new art I have been creating. I have really been working whole heartidly. I feel like I am really coming into myself, and hope it shows in the new work. Thank you and much artistic love! Here is just one of the new pieces available in my shop.
Watermark does not appear on actual piece.
"It was Written"
8x8
Watercolor, gel pen, ink, and pencil
(Oh! and LOVE)
Once an original sells I will then offer the image as prints.
I had this realization the other day, and I think it's a biggie...
I like me
Me, myself, and I are seeing eye to eye for the first time ever!
We are spending a lot of time getting to know eachother. It feels like I have just met myself... really
met that is... and I'm gonna go out on a limb and say we really "click". I look in the mirror now and say "hey, you're
cute... and really awesome" instead of "what's wrong with you? Go on with yourself". I'm flirting with me. Taking care of me. I'm nurturing all things that make me happy.
It's amazing what a good therapist, some good medication, and the right direction can do for you. That's right, I said THERAPIST and MEDICATION. They're awesome, both of them!
I think a lot of people go through their days either hiding that they are suffering mentally, that they are on medication not wanting anyone to know, or that they really don't like themselves truly when they say that they do.
There is no shame in taking medications to maintain your sanity.
There is no shame in therapy.
If the end result is LOVING yourself whole heartedly... and liking who you are as a person, then if you ask me it's a win win situation.
There is no shame in having depression or anxiety or anything else for that matter. It's just as medical as heart disease or diabetes. Would you leave those untreated?? NO! So love yourself no matter what your flaws. It's been a long battle for me that I finally feel like I'm throwing a lasso around. Everyone deserves happiness... true happiness. I didn't think it was possible, the stuff of fairy tales... but I assure you that it is.
I'm smiling more, and for no reason at all a lot of the time. I've even gone as far as to say the words "I feel happy" out loud... even when I worry saying it out loud will jinx me!
So yeah, I like me and I think I'll take me out for
coffee. No... wait, not coffee - Chocolate. Because I know that I like
chocolate and giving myself something I love only proves to myself that I
am acknowledging my needs and truly listening to what I have to say.
But I'll probably want coffee too... so coffee and chocolate it is.
In the past I have done a few playful portraits, nothing serious though. I had the pleasure of drawing a caricture of miss Polly from The Enchanted Pixie, and Lovely Laura from The Blue Eyed Night Owl. Their portraits came out beautiful and I loved them! But I went with carictures of them because I was too nervous and hesitant to do a true to life portrait. We can't live our life in fear right? No! Easier said than done I know, but if you never let fear go and continue not trusting yourself, then how will you grow? You won't.... so I trusted and was amazed by what I had the capability of achieving. Tooting own horn? Yeah maybe, it's healthy to toot your horn once in awhile! Toot Toot!
Last week I received a commission from a really sweet and friendly woman looking to have a piece done similar to one that had sold a few hours before on Etsy. I gladly told her I would love to and we started chatting about what she would like to see. Moments later she sent me a beautiful photograph of her daughter for inspiration. Inspired it did for almost instantly I saw what was to be created! Running it past her, she was completely excited to "trust the artist".
Being so excited and inspired, I was able to finish the piece quite quickly! This portrait isn't a caricature but a true to life depiction. I only made a few minor changes such as giving her a wee bit more of a smile, placing her in a dress, and of course the background and flowers.
Now, I'm not showing the entire piece today as I want it to be a surprise to the little girls mom... so I promise soon, but for now enjoy the sneaky peeks!
I'm really proud of this piece and super elated the mom of this shiny soul thinks it's so beautiful. I thank her for the opportunity to see what my skills were capable of producing. I hope to have future opportunities with such success!
I have been really busy drawing, just letting myself be completely me. I think most of the time, even though being so extroverted (secretly introverted), it's hard to just allow myself to let myself go. Go as in just allow the work to flow uninhibited from me. My inner critic tends to say mean things and I believe him. He goes on to add comments I didn't ask for and I end up doing something beautiful but not fully Ashlie.
If I'm being honest I have also been really nervous seeing what exactly me is... and the nerves add to worry because switching gears is scary!
Scary, none the less... I can't hold back. I have had such wonderful (thank you so freaking much) reception for my new work on Instagram, and now here on the blog that you all are just showing me critic or no inner critic that I am on the right path. In fact, I have never had so many comments and glowing remarks! Bllluuuusssh you guys!
There are several drawings piling up now and today although yesterday I shared new work... I am showing you more! All of these I am piling up until there is enough to revamp the Etsy shop.
To help clear out the shop or at least make it so that my book of art isn't so full and unappreciated, I am offering a -
Just use the coupon code BEYOU upon check out and thank you in advance for anyone who actually uses it.
So onto new work...
"We Make"
8x10
Pen and Watercolor
As I mentioned yesterday, prints to come! Of course I will let you know when ;) I hope you enjoy this new piece as much as I do. I'm feeling very inspired and very much like a spring bloom unfurling one petal at a time.
“He who stands for nothing will fall for anything.” ~ Alexander Hamilton
“It is good to love many things, for therein lies the true strength, and
whosoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much, and what
is done in love is well done.”
