Ashley Pierce is a self-taught artist living in Columbus, Ohio. Born in 1982, Ashley began creating art at a young age. She uses her art as a form of self-expression to help work through complicated feelings about her own life and the world around her. Ashley’s work appears to be fun and uplifting, but behind that there  is a deeper and more complex feeling that drove its process. Some of her work are portraits of herself and her family. We are huge fans of letting artists speak for themselves, so below are Ashley’s words:

“I pull inspiration for my work from my life. Most of my subjects tend to be self portraits but some are visitors representing an emotion, feeling, vice or real people. I use my art to navigate my life and often find putting the pen to the wood is like talking to an old friend to work out a problem. I start with an idea and create a very loose sketch on wood. It’s not until I start inking the drawing in until I know if it will work out or not. I find it very soothing to create pattern and repetition as it allows me time to work out the feelings in my head. I use watercolor to stain the wood and colored pencil to bring out the drawing. I finish with a Dremel tool, carving into the wood to create more pattern and texture.”

She is represented by Duff Lindsay Gallery. More of her work can be viewed on their website or on Facebook.

All Images ©Ashley D. Pierce