The Artwork Of Kirsten Ashley

Recap: Oddball Art Hall 1 Year Anniversary Show

2015-10-22T14:38:00.000-07:00

If you missed the Oddball Art Hall One Year Anniversary show last Friday I'm sure you're kicking yourself now. The live music! The live drawing! The art! The booze! For those who aren't acquainted with the Oddball Art Hall, it's a monthly art event that takes place at Wilmington's Oddity Bar. This month it was packed to capacity with 17 artists and vendors (including yours truly), as well as music from local musician Mr. Unloved and Todd Brewer of Rainbow Records DJing. Julia Semple put together a stunning golden goddess costume to model in while we drew and painted her visage.

My spot at the show including art jewelry, silhouettes, prints, macabre greeting cards, hand painted coasters.

Artists painting golden goddess, Julia Semple.

Portrait of Julia in watercolor

Spooky Silhouette Class Registration

2015-10-02T14:32:00.000-07:00

My last post went into detail about the spooky silhouette class I'll be teaching at the Delaware City Library on October 31st. The official registration link is finally live! CLICK HERE TO REGISTER ONLINE. Don't delay in signing up. Space is limited.

The Graceful and Spooky World of Silhouette Cutting

2015-09-23T12:21:00.001-07:00

Hello there girls and ghouls! I will be teaching my first ever silhouette cutting class on October 31st! The classic art of silhouette portraiture dates back centuries. I will be teaching basic paper cutting silhouette techniques as well as encouraging to let your mind go wild with spooky ideas. Ghouls, goblins, witches, sea creatures. Your imagination is the limit! The class will be held at the Delaware City Library. Please keep your eyes peeled for the announcement with registration information on their FACEBOOK PAGE.

New Event! Clark Park Fall Fest!

2015-09-08T11:21:00.000-07:00

Do you love West Philly, art, and music? Well, what a coincidence, so do I! Mark your calendar! I will be selling work as well as a slew of other artists, musicians, and vendors at the Clark Park Fall Fest. I will be showing original paintings as well as art jewelry, prints, hand painted coasters, bookmarks and for the spooky season, my macabre note cards.

Details

When: Saturday, September 19th from 11:00AM to dusk

Where: Clark Park in West Philadelphia

Freaks and Geeks at the July Oddball Art Hall

2015-07-19T17:20:00.003-07:00

In the northeast coast Megalopolis, Wilmington is barely noticeable. Sandwiched between Boston, New York, Philly, and Baltimore, it's hardly a blip on the major city radar. There are still people who only know Delaware for it's head banger reputation garnered from Wayne's World. While we can all agree that Wayne's World is amazing, Wayne and Garth's home state is seldom thought of as a burgeoning arts and culture hub. There is a monthly art event that works to change that. Oddball Art Hall, which takes place at Wilmington's Oddity Bar, is a monthly art event that features live drawing, live music, and artists ranging from painters to photographers to jewelry makers to ceramic artists.
I have vended a few times since it's inception. It's always a fun "art party" vibe. The July show was no different. I showed some work, met a few artist internet friends in person for the first time, listened to the DJ spinning records, and painted a lovely model dressed as Princess Leia- replete with light saber in tow of course.

My table at Oddball featuring art jewelry, cameo headpieces, prints, and notecards.

The crowd at Oddity

Painting the model

Princess Leia aka Jess McIntern

Live painting results

Adventures in Summer Festivaling: Old Fashioned Ice Cream Festival

2015-06-30T09:15:00.000-07:00

With the rain the East Coast has been getting this season, it almost feels like we’re honorary Seattlites. Flash flooding and 60 mph winds have been de rigor for the 2015 beach season. It certainly rained on my parade Saturday. The downpour kept me at bay from the Old Fashioned Ice Cream Festival at Rockwood Park. For those who haven’t heard of it, the Old Fashioned Ice Cream Festival is one of northern Delaware’s biggest fests. It even made The Food Network, and USA Today donned it one of the “top 10 food fests.” However, Sunday the clouds parted and the sun shone down upon all of us who wanted to shop local wares and stuff our faces with gourmet treats. As someone who goes to great efforts to put on shows and maintain an internet presence for my own art, I understand how hard small businesses and artisans work. While I was enjoying the rare beauty of the day, I took the time to talk to some of the artisans.

Aurora Lamps- Makers of gorgeous geometric lanterns. At first glance, it seems like these are intricate paper lanterns, but in fact they’re made of recycled polycarbonate plastic. The way the light shines through the multicolored lanterns is beautiful. Visit them at www.corryscoolstuff.com.

Emkay Bead Designs- The lovely jewelry maker at Emkay Bead Designs featured rows and rows of adorable jewelry ranging from kitschy to fashionable. It even had geek friendly pieces. I snagged a pair of Harry Potter Deathly Hallows themed earrings! She doesn’t appear to have a website, but you can send email inquiries to Myrna622@comcast.net.

Eric W. Zippe Imagemaker- Eric is a local Wilmington, Delaware art photographer who specializes in fine art and wooden prints. His work ranges from delicate black and white shots of outstretched tree branches to Vaudevillian images of women and casinos. You can find his work at www.shop.ezippe.com.

Elk Creek Maple Syrup- Hailing from Westford, New York, owner Paula Hilyer makes divine maple products ranging from maple candy, maple butter, and of course maple syrup. One taste of this stuff and you’ll never want to go back to the corn syrup laden sludge from the grocery store. I almost forgot how much dimensionality real maple syrup had until I tried this. Paula and her husband are a sweet couple that clearly love their craft. Visit them at www.elkcreekmaplesyrup.com.

Coates’ Hotter Than Hell- Owner Rob Coates is an affable hot sauce maker from Wilmington, Delaware. Ranging from mild to spicy, each sauce certainly has kick. This company’s motto is “feel the heat, savor the flavor,” with an emphasis on enhancing food with heat rather than masking it. I picked up a bottle of their medium heat sauce, En Fuego Habanero, whose ingredients include habanero and cayenne peppers. Check out their sauces at www.facebook.com/hotterthanhellsauce.

Until next time.

New Art Jewelry!

2015-05-22T13:57:00.002-07:00

This blog sorely needs updating. I've made pieces for private collectors, made a collection of literary themed coasters, participated in Oddball Art Hall, made a custom beer label for Euclidean Brewery, and crafted lots of fun art jewelry. That will be for another post. This post is dedicated to showing off my beautiful new art jewelry pieces!
The Lady of the Flowers Cameo was created from a sketching session at Ardmore's Tired Hands Brewery.
The Flower of Naiveté Cameo Ring takes my textured pastel piece and makes it wearable art, not to mention a funky addition to the jewelry box.
The Witchy Elegance Cameo is a miniature hand cut silhouette set in an understated black oval setting.
Click, love, share.

Original Artwork Available for Purchase

2014-11-26T20:30:00.000-08:00

Below are original pieces available for purchase. If you're interested in a piece send an inquiry HERE.

"Stab"
16x24"
Mixed media, pastel on paper

"Window View"
9x12"
Gouache on watercolor paper

"Sun Burn"
Watercolor, ink on watercolor paper

"Sisters"
Watercolor, cut paper on watercolor paper

Hello Again, Etsy

2014-11-26T19:55:00.000-08:00

I'm back at it on Etsy. This time I'm offering large prints of some of my favorite pieces, art jewelry including pieces made from hand cut silhouettes, and (in the very near future) custom painted coasters. Keep an eye on this blog and my page at www.facebook.com/kirstenashleyart for #smallbusinesssaturday

Weekend Sketching

2014-10-01T12:25:00.000-07:00

This weekend my sketchbook was in tow for some weekend adventures. I went to the beautiful Bellevue State Park for a friends birthday party. It was the perfect amount of sun and cloudless sky to enjoy this type of outing without my Polish skin bursting into flames.

The view from Pavilion 1 at Bellevue State Park

Some more sketching I added some color to.

Hello, strange beret girl.

I also had the occasion of meeting a 12 year old girl who I shared some pages of my sketchbook with. It reminded me that bringing a sketchbook to social gatherings isn't necessarily an antisocial action. For certain introverts it allows them to feel more at ease.

Not Today, Satan

2014-05-16T19:43:00.000-07:00

For those of us who watch Rupaul's Drag Race the episode two weeks ago clinched a #teambianca vote for me. Go girl Go!

New Portrait Sketches

2014-05-12T18:14:00.001-07:00

Less Than Jake

Devil in a Blue Dress

A few portrait sketches I completed while getting some vitamin D.

New Painting

2014-03-31T10:55:00.000-07:00

"Among the Striped Trees"
7"X12"
Watercolor on paper

Close up view

Pub Sketching

2014-03-22T19:31:00.000-07:00

I recently visited the Tired Hands Brewing Company pub and did some sketching. The sun made a rare appearance, and this girl came out to play.

Mini Painting Tidbit

2014-02-05T15:03:00.000-08:00

As a thank you gift I painted a little hedgehog for my grandmother.

"Hedgehog"
Acrylic on 6"x 6"x 2" canvas

Hello Again Etsy

2014-01-14T10:06:00.000-08:00

After quite a hiatus I'm returning to selling on Etsy. Right now there are a few art prints up in the interim. I will be listing some originals once I get my breather from the holidaze. (Making things and a retail schedule is a tad exhausting.)

2 of the prints currently available:

Click HERE to be taken to the shop.

2 New Paintings

2014-01-03T18:10:00.002-08:00

I have 2 new paintings I completed as gifts over the holiday season.

"Oh Deer"
5"x 7"
Acrylic on canvas
December 2013

"Flower Collector"
9" x 12"
Acrylic, encaustic, 3d elements on board
December 2013

Te Kore Band Art!

2013-08-13T10:03:00.001-07:00

I'm pretty thrilled to finally make public a project I've been working on. Recently, I designed a logo for one of my favorite indie bands Te Kore. A little rundown on the band: Te Kore began with Molly Angst as a girl with her piano. She then got herself a partner in crime. The sound is a touching Tori Amos/PJ Harvey inspired alt rock. The songs range from topics of drug abuse, body issues and love to Greek myth. I connected with Molly (AKA Nicole) through the forums of Kittyradio many moons ago. She sent me a demo cd, and it was love at first listen. She has since opened up for (love of my life) Amanda Palmer for the Indianapolis Kickstarter House Party.

Needless to say, I was flattered that she asked me to be a part of her art with mine. Below is the resulting logo I came up with.

Go to http://te-kore.com to see it in action on the Te Kore website. Keep in mind, as of this posting, the fully fleshed out site is still in the works.

Life Imitating Art Imitating Craft

2013-07-01T10:03:00.000-07:00

So lately I've been on a wearable art kick. My latest is a petrified seahorse exoskeleton that I turned into a cameo charm. She was painted a gradient pink and lilac, backed with patterned paper onto a cameo. Soon she'll have pink millinery netting and be made into a headpiece.

Notorious C H O

2013-05-10T11:12:00.000-07:00

I'm proud to say I've finally finished the second of the new portrait series, featuring the lovely Ms.Margaret Cho.
Why Margaret Cho? You may ask. She's not only a comedian that makes me burst into ab burning laughs, but she has been a fierce opponent of homophobia, misogyny, hypocrisy, and body hate.Not many people realize this, but she's also an author. As someone who has fought body dysmorphia her book I'm The One That I Want changed my perspective on self loathing. Why is she perfect for this portrait series? She's a self made performer and writer who expresses her sexuality on her own terms. The things that come out of her mouth make construction workers blush. She isn't what the mainstream immediately thinks of as a "sex symbol," and yet has been an undeniable force in cultivating a sex positive culture.
Without further adieu...

Ms. Cho

Tease

2013-05-01T11:55:00.000-07:00

Here is another work-in-progress of the newest portrait in the series.

Can anyone guess who the diva is?

First of a Series: Lena Dunham of Girls

2013-04-18T06:55:00.000-07:00

This is my first in a series of fandom inspired portraits. As a fan of Lena Dunham's writing and acting in Girls and Tiny Furniture, I wanted to capture her not just as the person who intentionally contorts herself into unflattering poses for the sake of her characters, but also as someone who has an unconventional sexiness. The series of portraits will follow high profile people who challenge convention with their writing and performance, people not typically associated as sex symbols, though they bring heaping servings of sex positivity and openness to the forefront.

Lena Dunham- watercolor/colored pencil on watercolor paper.

A Return To Dr. Sketchys Philly

2013-03-28T10:49:00.002-07:00

There was actually enough of a donut hole in my schedule that a special Dr Sketchys session filled perfectly. Having a retail schedule means sacrificing nights and weekends. Unfortunately this usually means passing on regularl Friday and Sunday sessions of Dr Sketchys Philly.Last night's session happened to be held on a rare Wednesday evening. It was a session hosted in my favorite childhood haunt, The Philadelphia Museum of Art. It was part of the museum's Pay What You Wish Wednesday.
The theme of this session was Game of Thrones. While I've never seen the show to judge if I'm a fan or not, the elaborate costumes (There was a sword wielding woman in armor!) and the Arms and Armory Gallery setting provided an exciting, and dare I say, badass figure drawing session. There were models with swords, armor, furs, and flowing cloaks. The evening ended with a marriage proposal between 2 of the models. Seeing the model turn bright red even gave this cynical girl a butterfly or two.
The session itself was a little shorter than the usual Sketchys sessions because of the time constraint of the museum closing at 8:45PM. Instead of a variance between 1 to 20 minute poses there were only 5 and 10 minute poses. Overall, however, I'd say this was an awesome night. I would certainly go to another sketchys session at the museum. (I've only gone to sessions held at World Cafe Live and the Mutter Museum.)
Without further adieu, here are the sketches and photos from Wednesday's session. Enjoy!

5 minute pose of Ms. Candy Mayhem

5 minute pose

2 separate 5 minute poses

5 minute pose

5 minute pose (Coincidentally, this is the now engaged pair!)

10 minute pose

Artists, models, and curator wrapping up on the museum steps

Mmm Pi

2013-02-21T12:42:00.001-08:00

For my mathematician. Valentine made of candy hearts and a doily mounted on canvas.

Hey folks! I'm also updating on Tumblr. Follow it for pretty pictures! www.heartshapedscarz.tumblr.com

Festivus for the Rest of Us

2013-01-04T08:22:00.002-08:00

No matter what religion or nonreligion you affiliate with, most people in the U.S. celebrate a holiday during the month of December. Whether that is Krampus, Festivus, Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanza. You get the picture.
My friends and family received their handmade holiday gifts. SooOOOooOOooo, that means I can share what I made! The last 3 months of retail hell sucked the marrow from my bones, but I pushed on to at least make a few things. As you saw from my last post, I like to make my own little tree for the aparment. This year I played with papercrafting for the first time. I made 3 dimensional flowers for the tree, as well as cards.