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The piece pictured is the latest to sell. It was made before the sun rose. Hot coffee in front of me, tempting my paint brush to rinse itself as usual. I have an affinity for cottages and love the Scandinavian color palette—bright and muted in just the right places. Birdsong was playing from my iTunes and only two small lamps lit. Inspired by some photos as we traveled Norway in... well, it seems like another lifetime now. During the creation, my block-out ripped the paper. Although gutted, I tried fixing the piece with a 3-dimensional effect making the cottage removable. The result is wonderful. This piece will continue its story in a new space and my heart is full.
I'm pleased to reveal the final 2020 commission piece. It was incredibly difficult to keep this commission a secret for so long. This piece was a Christmas gift and it had to be kept a secret as its for one of my amazing friends. During our last catch-up he mentioned wanting something for his house and I had to steer him into not buying something until "after Christmas". I'm not one to be devious so this was terribly difficult! We love the painting so much! I can't wait to get it framed. I was totally surprised!!! It's gorgeous... It's literally so beautiful – your talent is amazing."
My third painting for the City Gallery art exhibition was inspired by autumnal views from Collyweston. I adore this village—ancient stones, grand houses, quaint cottages, and the best scenic views.
We visited Belvoir Castle this past weekend. It quickly became a family favorite. The home is so lovely and who doesn't love visiting a film set? (Portions of The Crown was filmed here!) We always end up with an arm load of future presents for the girls, goodies for a delicious meal, and one-of-a-kind loose leaf tea from the Engine Yard. As we drove into the car park, there is a rolling view of the fields below the castle that are magnificent. In an artist daze, I wandered towards the view, snapping photos. A sunrise and sunset landscape duo will be entered into the Peterborough City Gallery exhibition. I love watching the watercolor washes interact. New colors emerge and shapes are defined by saturation and transparency. One more painting to make for the exhibition and then will be submitting the last week of October. Exciting!
Much like a screen print process, I have experimented using Ultramarine, Lemon Yellow, and Cadmium Red. I layer in that order on the paper. The secondary and tertiary colors created were very fun to uncover. I focus on the tints and shades of my focus, leaving white space as the main highlights. Overall, I think I prefer the monotone blue best, but the end result is also beautiful.
The inspiration for this collection surfaced during an introspective journey following the death of George Floyd. The educational materials gratefully thrust into view regarding systemic racism made me feel empowered to help and support with my entire being. I was reading late into the night, watching documentaries, attached to the stream of social media posts all within a matter of days. This passion then became anger and I felt an intense mother's desire to take away the bad and replace with good, but could not. My need for instant gratification stunned me. So I began to think, "Well, what can I change? Where do I start? What do I know? I know women. I know motherhood. I have felt the struggles. I'll start there." So by combining my fervor for the BIPOC community with that of women's struggles, the Beach Women collection was born. Upon further reflection of the initial collection, I realized that I did not include any variations of skin tones for the women. Amidst the chaos of life, I became wrapped up in using the knowledge of my self that I neglected to really embrace all women. So I am rectifying this and will have updates to the collection soon.
Beach Women observes insightful women at a shoreline.
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Images are ©Ashley Stuart. All reproduction or use of images is prohibited without written consent. If you see an artwork that you would like to own, but it's not in the shop, get in touch and I'll try to make it happen!
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March 2024
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