Homeschool welcomes aboard artist Ashley Sloan to the roster. Her delicate drawings are mysterious and alluring. We recently acquired two masterfully rendered sumi ink peices this past month and had a chance to ask Sloan about her process and opinions on the Portland art scene.

Redolance

How did you find yourself an artist and what has your experience been in the Portland art scene?

I think I found myself an artist in spite of myself. I never grew up thinking I would actually pursue art. Not practical enough for me. But as it turns out, making art is what makes me happy; as unfortunate and unpractical as that is.  It also didn’t hurt that my mom used to be a painter in the 70’s so all through my childhood she would buy me art supplies and encourage me to make art.

As for being in the Portland art scene, it seemed the most natural choice having grown up in Oregon. I went to college in Eugene, but never thought I’d stay after I graduated. So after graduation I moved to Portland. Once I started working on the website for OPENWIDEpdx, everything seemed to fall into place. Photographing artwork around town forces me to be an active art participant in Portland. And so far it’s been a really great experience. I think Portland is a good size; big enough to have a thriving art scene and small enough to become an active participant at will.

What is your favorite medium and subject matter?

I’ve never thought of graphite as being my favorite medium, but it’s definitely what I come back to the most. Lately I’ve been interested in sumi ink and water color as well. I guess it just depends on the year and what phase I’m working through. As for subject matter, almost all of my work address femininity and wistfulness in some way. I’ve filtered through many different subjects, but those are usually the undertones I’m working with.  

What is your creative process like?

Before I create a piece, I pour over various imagery I’ve found in magazines and on the internet. I heavily rely on resource material from photographs of popular culture and then essentially cut them out and rearrange. In this way I’m greatly influenced by collage techniques. From there I draw from the extracted imagery, adding and subtracting bits and pieces, while usually listening to a book on tape. (That way I feel like I’m being doubly productive.)

Who are your favorite Portland Artists?

This is a tough question, with way too many answers. I love Joe Thurston’s work, with his meditative textures, beautiful color choices and incredible technical skill. MK Guth is an obvious one as well. She’s hands down one of the best artists in Portland. I also love Bailey Winters’ paintings because of his ability to create a hyper-real, cinematic world. And Gabriel Liston is capable of capturing narratives like few other painters. His work always has a tone of mischief and curiosity that I love. 

drawing from Wish Series

What is on your Christmas list?

Mostly things I can’t bring myself to spend money on: little heart tights from Tabio, jigsaw puzzles, tea, art books, fruit basket and curtains. I just got an art studio this week, so I guess I should add a bunch of supplies and furniture for that project as well.