Ashli

Location:
Austin, Texas
School:
University of Texas at Austin
Birthday:
03/31/1987
Artist Inspirations:
Andy Warhol

Biography:
They say kids have no inhibitions and at the age of 5, I entered an essay contest on what I wanted to be when I grew up and wrote a paper on how I wanted to be an artist. I won 1st place and Sesame Street Live tickets. So from an early age, it was clear I was destined to be an artist of sorts. My private studio teacher for 8 years, Joe, taught me how to explore art and the world around me and never once hindered my creativity or my sense of the big picture. He helped me discover different materials and techniques for painting, while letting me find out things for myself and learn through my own experiences. I was swayed many times from getting a degree in art, when originally it was Joe who told me he thought that is what I should do. In the end, after several major changes, and finally listening to his advice and my own heart, I found what I truly love to do and I’m extremely thankful for that. Usually, I paint with inspiration from something that I come across that sparks some sort of emotion or intrigue. I explore with unknown materials constantly and a lot of times there are roadblocks with those, where a strong sense of creativity and innovation come into play. I took my first 3D art class, researched 3D artists and have found it to be one of those things that inspire me to look into it more and create more 3D pieces. Eventually, I hope to do more installations in the future. As of right now, I see my own art as a somewhat pop modern vintage style with bright colors, implied and real textures, while making dynamically bold statements.