Originally from Corpus Christi, Texas, Ashley received her Bachelor of Arts degree from The University of Texas in Austin in Art History. She, her husband, and three children now reside in Jacksonville, Florida. After leaving a successful Floral Design business due to a harrowing car accident, Ashley found herself behind the lens. She began taking pictures of the floral arrangements she received during her recovery. Feeling inspired, she painted large pieces of wood black and began photographing arrangements in front of the dark background. The rest is history. Ashley is a self taught photographer who arranges flowers in a way that is both provocative and demure and presents them to the world with evident love and appreciation. Join us on Tuesday at 11 am EST as we introduce this Jacksonville based artist and her photographs ( Well + Wonder's first time ever offering photographs) into the Well + Wonder collection. Welcome, Ashley!
My phone, reading glasses, hand lotion, and chapstick.
Who is your biggest influence as an artist and why?
I have to say Mother Nature because without her I would have nothing to photograph.
Tell us about your childhood. What is the most memorable moment as a young person?
I grew up in the 70s/80s in South Texas. My most memorable moment was when I got my leg stuck in the spokes of my babysitter’s bike-I think I was 6. It was the beginning of summer and my leg was broken from the fall-I had to wear a big heavy cast for the entire hot summer in Galveston, TX. My dad had a cast at the same time so it was definitely memorable.
If you could only have one supply in your art studio, what would it be and why?
My iphone because I use it mostly to take all of my images.
What is your favorite room in your house? Describe it.
My bedroom. The walls are covered in my Sophia grasscloth pattern which is cream with huge white camelias. The curtains are a heavy linen in the same pattern. We have a king sized Industry West cane bed with cream linens and giant pillows to match the walls and curtains-it is truly like living inside a garden.
What is your biggest score online?
A pair of Chloe pants, circa 2001, by Stella McCartney.
What is the benefit of buying art through a collective? What do you recommend for those that are new to buying original art?
I think being able to purchase art from different artists at the same time is pretty magical. You can fall in love with an abstract painting that is yellow and pair it with a moody photograph that has a little hint of gold. I recommend going with your gut and not listening only listening to your interior designer. Art is where you see your personality really shine through in your home or office.
If you have the entire day to spend in an art museum, which one and why?
MONA-no question. Museum of Old and New Art in Hobart, Tasmania. It is an experience that you will never forget. It is the one museum that I was constantly surprised by, inside and out.
What is your favorite hotel and what makes it special?
The Hotel San Jose in Austin. It is one of the first boutique hotels in the US and I worked there every weekend in my 20s. I lived in Houston and would drive my red Karman Ghia to Austin every Thursday to work the front desk and spend the night at the hotel. I made zero dollars (or less) but I fell head over heels with that small, charming space in the center of Austin.
If you were a lipstick color would you be red, pink, or clear and why?
I want to say red because red lips are just so damn glamorous, but I am going to have to go with clear. I am a Chapstick girl through and through.
I can never get on a plane without….
Gum.
How did you get into the world of art?
I have always been in it as I studied Art History at The University of TX in Austin but I didn’t start my photography practice until August of 2012.
What do you do to relax?
Casa Amigos Reposado, soda and a lime.
When do you get the biggest surge of inspiration?
When I see a beautiful flower.
Prediction for the Color of 2024?
Deep, rich, fiery red.
What is your idea of a date night? Dinner and a movie or dancing all night?
Pickleball, then dinner and drinks with friends.
Tell us about your favorite painting that you have created.
My favorite image I have every created is titled Blue Peony. It is a single white peony spray painted blue by my daughter. I just love that we collaborated to make something so special.
One piece of advice for buying original art?
If you love it, buy it. There is only one.
