Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Blazer.
Hi Ashley, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Thanks for having me! I’m a (mostly) self-taught visual artist, originally from The Plains, Virginia. In 2018, I quit my desk job and started painting full-time in the corner of my tiny bedroom in New York City. I had a year of art school under my belt, and a lot of determination and creative energy that I hadn’t found the right outlet for. I picked up a paintbrush and began to do the one thing I felt I really knew how to do. Then I made a promise to myself that I would never stop.
Fast forward to now: I’ve been living and working in Austin for 2.5 years and my practice has grown and changed in ways I never could have imagined. I have found the space here to really stretch and breathe – literally but also creatively, in the sense that I have been able to give my practice the dedication and nurturing it really needed to lead me to where I am today. I have participated in some really cool collaborative opportunities, established an international clientele, and am gearing up for this year’s Austin Studio Tour.
Austin has had a lot to do with my growth as an artist. I have found the character of the arts community here to be much like that of the larger city – generally friendly and welcoming. Folks seem to be genuinely interested in what I’m trying to do and are usually eager to offer their support. You don’t find that everywhere. There’s a special current in Austin – it’s like the city is running on creative energy. Once you get plugged into it, you can really feel the momentum. It has a way of carrying you forward, like the city believes in you.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
The road has been very bumpy and very windy! Whose isn’t? A major career shift in my early 30s was a pretty huge leap of faith to take, and I’ve had to work through a lot of self-doubt along the way. Being an artist means spending a lot of time in your head, and that can be a scary place sometimes. Hell, it can be scary outside of your head too! People will make you feel small, and making art requires a lot of vulnerability. I have tried a lot of things that haven’t worked. I have made some sh*tty art. But I’ve been learning every step of the way. As hard as it can feel sometimes, I think that’s sort of the way it has to be. I don’t know about y’all, but driving down a straight, flat road sounds pretty boring to me.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Right now, I am working with acrylic paint and textiles to create abstract paintings and relief sculptures. I’m experimenting with manipulating different types of recycled fabric into various forms and using the acrylic to introduce color and build on texture. The plasticity of the acrylic paint allows me to essentially “cast” the textiles in place. I’m proud of this new body of work because it came from a very intuitive place and it feels new and different to me. I sort of feel like I’ve opened the door to a new world and I am just beginning to feel my way around.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
I am a big believer in collaboration and am always interested in hearing other people’s ideas for projects. Working with other talented artists to create something bigger than what one of us could have accomplished alone is, to me, such an exhilarating concept. Shoot me an email or message me on Instagram!
You can support me directly by purchasing my work, of course, or by following me on social media, subscribing to my newsletter, or just generally spreading the good word. Lastly, you can support me by supporting the greater Austin arts community – go check out galleries, attend an opening – your participation helps keep it alive!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ashleyblazer.com
- Instagram: @ahb_studio
Image Credits
Aubre Salas
