Meet artist Ashely Goldberg

top image: Wonderboy
bottom image: Come on in
bottom of the page image: Laundry ... NEVER!!! images provided and copyrighted by Ashely Goldberg

I found Ashley through one of my favorite daily reads: Bird in the Hand ... (thank you Lisa!) I fell in love with her work immediately and purchaced two of her orignial drawings from her etsy shop. We spoke about her being part of a show next year at artstream and she has agreed! Here is a little preview of her work for you today with a mini bio to tell you a bit more about this young emerging artist. I have one word for her work: EXCITING!
Now ... meet Ashley:

I'm 24 years old. I have loved arts, crafts, creatures, and nature my entire life. I enjoy focusing on portraiture and capturing a brief moment in time. My artwork tends to be simple, but with a sophisticated or stark color palette. I believe great emotion can be conveyed in a simple gesture or look. The characters I create, whether monsters or little girls, are simple, humorous, empathetic, and a little bit pathetic.

I'm influenced by package design,band posters, fashion illustration, magazines (anything glossy or mass produced really) That's why I'm so drawn to prints sooo much. I think it's amazing to have an original piece of art scanned or altered and have it accessible to anyone who wants. It just changes the context of the work..and I enjoy that to no end. I love Julie Verhoeven, Schiele, Nara, thrift store tags, library due date slips. There's such accidental beauty in so many ordinary things.

I strongly believe in what you're happiest doing at five is what you will be happiest doing your entire life. Growing up, I endlessly drew and embroidered onto washclothes that my grandma gave me little creatures and animals that I desperately wanted to live in the woods of my backyard. In my mind these creatures had tiny, magnificent, ornate lairs in the trunks of old trees (which I also drew, along with maps of how to get there). And although these creatures were elusive and shy, they always decided to befriend me. Over the years, my creatures have become decidedly more design-driven, but a part of me is still just drawing little friends to have.

Please visit Ashley's shop to see more of her works, as this is just a teaser. Can't wait to get my package from Ashley!

The word for the day is ... pile ... as in laundry, a nice black pile of topsoil, and piggy pile tickle fest playfulness!