Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Slade.
Hi Ashley, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’m an oil painter, illustrator, and collage artist based in Pasadena, California. I’m interested in the use of various materials to examine the difference between my interior world (dreams, ideas, likes, and dislikes) and the reality in which we live.
I’ve always enjoyed illustration and graphic design, but I didn’t go to art school. Instead I got a masters in Communication and started my career in Virginia, where I worked in various editorial positions in publishing.
While working in that field, I began doodling and messing around with graphic design programs like Adobe Illustrator on the side. Coworkers and friends noticed and started asking me to draw things for them, or design things like pamphlets and presentations. I really enjoyed creating things and kept feeling a call to make more.
Eventually my boyfriend (now husband) and I decided to move to Southern California where his family is from. When we made the move I decided to freelance for a bit as a graphic designer, which gave me more freedom to experiment with art and design. I worked on book covers, websites, illustration commissions, and more. This helped build my skill set and led to a job as a Communications Director at a local church in Pasadena.
During this period I also began oil painting and fell madly in love with it. Focusing on making work mostly by hand versus digitally has brought me a lot of joy. I now have a small art studio in which to work on my pieces in South Pasadena. I’ve sold art at arts and crafts fairs and earlier this year had art featured in a gallery in Claremont. Following my passion for art to see where it leads has been such a rewarding experience.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I have always had a roof over my head and food on the table. That is something so many people cannot say. So I consider myself lucky and am grateful.
My struggles in pursuing art have been mostly mental: Is my work any good? Does it matter? Should I be doing this full time? Is it ok that I don’t? Am I too old for this? Am I waisting time? Do I need to be more online?
When I freelanced, I learned a lot about color theory, layout, patterns, and more…all of which helped me in my artwork. However, I didn’t make enough money to live off of it alone. Selling art prints helped, but it still was not enough. There is so much pressure to be an independent designer or artist. And so for a while it felt like I was failing to “make it”.
Now I see it a bit differently. Yes, I’d love to make art full-time. I hope one day I will. But there are a lot of benefits to working while making art. I don’t have the stress of my artwork paying the bills. I’m able to experiment and make the work I want to make without worrying about whether or not it’s marketable.
As far as the nagging negative thoughts that I think all creatives have, my answer to that is in the work. If I start worrying about whether or not I’m a good artist, I just sit down and start making more work. I find that the more you focus on enjoying your practice, the less often those thoughts intrude.
A note: Many artists (with day jobs or not) still struggle to support themselves. If you can, please support local artists by purchasing work or donating to arts organizations that support artists and their needs. Art is vitally important to the health of our community.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Currently, I would say that I am primarily an oil painter. But, I love working in lots of mediums. I also enjoy illustration, collage, and assemblage. My work tends to be figurative and leans into a bit of the surreal.
I think what sets my work apart are my influences. I try to mix elements of Afrofuturism and retrofuturism, midcentury illustration, and surrealism with my experiences growing up in rural Virginia, my vivid dreams (which I’ve always had), and my hopes for the future.
I’m most proud of centering Black women in my art. I use a mix of reference photos and photos of women in my family to inspire me.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
Oh my goodness, so many things! My husband, our family, and our dog, Comet, are the first things that come to mind.
I’m happy that I have really good friends, endless amounts of books to read, a bottle of red wine in the cupboard, and some blank canvases waiting for paint.
I’m happy that, despite of all the horrible things going on in our world today, I still see people pursuing joy and advocating for peace.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://Instagram.com/ashleysladeart
Image Credits
All images are mine except the image of me in the yellow/green coat and my large painting. This was taken by Rochele Jones.
