“The Female Gaze”
Gallery1988 in Los Angeles, CA.
”The Female Gaze” celebrates the women of the scifi and fantasy world of TV and film. It features 19 pieces in chalk pastel and graphite. Limited edition prints will be available too.
It was difficult choosing what women I wanted to feature. I made a list of all the female characters I loved, and narrowed that list down by their roles in the film. Not just what they did in their respective roles, but what their characters represented. Whether that was a ruler, a villain, a soldier, a victim, a survivor, or a scientist. Each has a different story to tell, and I want to showcase their strength and vulnerability.
An illustrated novel and adaptation of H.C. Andersen's The Little Mermaid launched on Kickstarter June 1st, 2019. We raised 21k with 250 backers. I’m thrilled to finally see it come to life.
“Exquisite and darkly sublime, her work is a marvel of tone and atmosphere. Yet the serene and lovingly rendered pastel belie a razor-edged strength and a deadly elegance.”
Read the foreword written by award winning illustrator for the Dark Crystal series Cory Godbey.
“A particular feeling washed over me the first time I laid eyes on Ashly’s work. And it’s a feeling I’ve struggled to name to this day. Exquisite and darkly sublime, her work is a marvel of tone and atmosphere. Yet the serene and lovingly rendered pastel belie a razor-edged strength and a deadly elegance. Ashly’s work is transportive. With ease, she guides the viewer from the familiar world to one dappled in a strange light. That world is steeped in a kind of bewitched nostalgia. There’s nothing mawkish or wistful there, rather, Ashly’s haunting portraits feel like a pang of remembrance, the shudder which comes from recalling a forgotten memory at long last.
With THE LITTLE MERMAID, Ashly invites us to stand alongside her and watch a storm sweep across a moonlit beach, to feel the lash of a cold ocean, and respond to the pull of a darkening tide. And it’s that pull in her work, like an undertow of perilous beauty mingled with sorrow, which beguiles at every turn.
It reflects, in the contemplative sense of the word, in the way it gently asks you to stop and consider. It also reflects like a mirror, exposing elemental human fears to the beholder: darkness, separation, and deep water. And yet through it all echoes the other side of the song: selflessness, sacrifice, and love. This fantastic swirl of emotions, enchantment and melancholy, which Ashly balances so well with her work are on full display in this book. Like looking through ripples in water and catching a glimmer of something beloved but you dare not reach because you never know just what else lies beneath the surface.
Move toward the light and the shadow on the crashing waves.
Take a deep breath of salty air and sink into a familiar story now seen through new, luminous eyes.”
Press and Interviews
Gizmodo.com
Read about the process behind my solo show “The Female Gaze.”
MuddyColors.com
Recent interview where I talk about my background as a illustrator, my influences, and upcoming projects.
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Most Recent Blog Posts
2019 Convention Schedule
Mar 29 - 31 - Spectrum Fantasy Art Live - Kansas City, KS
Aug 29 - Sept 2nd - Dragon Con - Atlanta, GA
Oct 23 - 27 - Illuxcon Convention Showcase - Reading, PA