Meet the Artist: Ashleigh Suarez
Hi sweet friends!
I feel like February has just flown by! It’s crazy to think that tomorrow is March 1st. If you have been around with us for a while, you know what the first of the month is for G. Grace Gallery… Launch Day!!! We are so excited to have our friend Ashleigh Suarez working with us this month by creating an exclusive collection that is only available at G. Grace Gallery. Like always, before we try to sell you any art, we want you to get to know the artist as a person first. This week we asked Ashleigh 6 get to know you questions. Below are her answers:
1. Where are you from and how does that affect your work?
I’m from Seneca SC, a small town in the upper northwest corner of SC at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Like any small town, the main attraction is the population itself. I loved growing up there. I miss the people and the slower pace of small towns. I spent a lot of time in the forest surrounding the Chattooga River with my family. I love the woods, I love solitude. My studio here in Nashville recreates that feeling for me. I open the doors and I’m in the woods with deer and turkey visiting me. I also paint quite a bit at Warehouse 521. It recreates the small-town community feel for me…just really great people with a shared passion. I’ve made some really great friends and found community there. It’s my small town in this big city :)
2. Tell me about your favorite medium.
Nothing beats oil painting. The feel, the colors, and its workability. The pauses you have to take to clean your brush between strokes force you to slow down and make each mark count. Nothing compares.
3. Where do you find inspiration?
Inspiration is everywhere. I just have to have presence enough to see it. In other words, inspiration is the constant and I (or at least my state of mind and heart) am the variable.
4. What motivates you to create?
I wouldn’t call it motivation because it’s more of a compulsion. I just have to create. Even if the outcome looks horrid, the process is always worth it. Creativity is how I reconnect with myself so I can connect with others.
5. What's one piece of advice you would give your younger self, artist to artist?
Listen and learn from others but never ignore your own inner wisdom.
6. Dream vacation?
A non-touristy small town in a foreign country with an interesting history, locals who don’t speak English, and a nice but not too swanky treehouse/eco-hut tucked away in a mosquito-less forest. No makeup. No phone service. A short hike to a beach. A hammock or swing. A ham and cheese sandwich on white bread with lays potato chips smashed inside and a cold glass of bottled Coca-Cola. And maybe a smart, kind, adventurous, funny, old soul sitting beside me to share my day and play checkers with. Ok wow. That one got specific!
We love Ashleigh over here at G. Grace Gallery. Her exclusive collection entitled “Crosses and Clothed Figures” will be available Friday, March 1st at 10:00 A.M. CST in our online shop. These pieces are all so unique and have so much beauty and character painted into each of them. We can’t wait for you to see her work!