'Artists can transcend race, religion and culture.'
Michele Ashby is a UK based artist. Her work has been viewed in exhibitions and publications in the UK and USA, and as an international artist feature in a NZ publication.
After a successful career as a graphic designer, Michele has passionately pursued a career as a contemporary realist artist with pastels as her preferred choice of medium, and predominantly figurative subject matter.
Where is your current studio?
After cashing in a small pension, we decided to convert the garage to be my art studio. Before this I was working at the end of the dining table (which I was very happy with).
My studio is small, yet beautiful, and full of light. I’m surrounded by my pastels, as well as my art books and magazines for inspiration. My little grey Labradoodle Bobby wanders in and out sometimes stays for a reassuring cuddle or two.
What would your dream studio be like?
My dream studio would probably be something along the lines of what I’ve got, except bigger. That way I'd able to house countless supplies of pastels and books. Actually, an endless view of the sea wouldn’t go a miss.
Do you prefer to work in silence or does certain music inspire you?
I rarely work in silence, preferring the company of sound. I alternate between podcasts (Happy Place with Fearne Cotton and Table Manners with Jesse Ware being my current favourites), audiobooks (at the moment I’m enjoying Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo), and the radio, favouring Women's Hour on Radio 4. I also listen to Spotify which allows me a constant stream of music by my favourite artists, ranging from Ludovico Einaudi to Paul Weller, Ben Howard and Tom Misch to Joni Mitchell.
Studio life can lead to isolation, how do you address this and keep a balance?
I find that chatting to my family and friends via WhatsApp or FaceTime is an absolute blessing. To be able to see them in this way, even from a distance is such a comfort.
Also, the fact that I have a dog definitely helps keep that wolf from the door. I can grab his lead and within five minutes we're in our local park where (as anyone who has a dog knows) there’s always another dog walker willing to chat and walk alongside you.
What is your favourite / least favourite part of the job?
My least favourite part of working in pastels is that, unlike drawing with a pencil, charcoal or graphite, there’s always a messy stage. This is when I tell Paul, my other half, ‘don’t talk to the bus driver.' It’s this stage, where you block in colour before adding detail on top, that makes me doubt myself as an artist. But you just have to knuckle down and get through it. My favourite part is when I receive a message from a client telling me how delighted they are with their artwork.
Describe an obstacle you have faced and how you overcame it.
I have a chronic back problem (way too boring to detail) and I deal with this huge obstacle by turning up, day in day out, despite the pain. I can manage the pain so much better while I’m in the zone of creativity, and all my energy is focused on producing art.
Detail the moment which was the highlight for you thus far.
In 2018 I became a Signature Member of the Pastel Society of America. I then had a piece selected for the annual Enduring Brilliance exhibition held at the National Arts Club in New York, where it won the Chartpak Inc. award for Outstanding use of Pastel. Subsequently, the same piece was selected along with a handful of other pieces to exhibit at the Butler Museum of American Art.
Do you have a personal mantra or quote which serves to motivate you?
I actually have a couple. Firstly, ‘be the best version of yourself you can be,' secondly, ‘give a job to a busy person,' and finally, what I used to say to my children every day as I dropped them off at school. ‘Be good, try hard, have fun’.
Is there something you regard is essential to your preparation of process?
Everything in my studio, and my house, has to be neat and tidy before I can start anything. It’s probably the designer in me.
Artists produce beautiful works of art in all situations, even the extremely difficult one we find ourselves living in now. I believe that if you are meant to create, you will find your voice.
Follow Michele!
@micheleashbyartist
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