Check Out Ashley Elizabeth Burke’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Elizabeth Burke.

Hi Ashley Elizabeth , so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My name is Ashley I am a mixed media portrait artist. My actual journey and fascination with drawing people began when I was a small child. It all began with a magna doodle until eventually I was able to use crayons, colored pencils, and markers. In my elementary school years I enjoyed creating my own stories and illustrating them, During my second grade year one of my stories, a rendition of Cinderella was published in a little school district magazine.

My life changed in a traumatic way during my middle school years. I became the victim of sexual assault. I lost my ambition or will to create art. I found poetry for a little while and I constantly read books about powerful women who were oppressed and always found a way to conquer the darkness and radiate new light.

I had an epiphany around the age of thirty. Something in me felt empty, and I immediately understood that canvas and paint would complete me and make me whole. I was extremely rusty. I painted flat, and ugly. I didn’t let that stop me. I forgot all of the foundations of drawing from childhood. I learned every single skill all over again.

From books to you tube I taught myself to draw using oil paint. Each day I got better and better. By 2021 I felt pretty accomplished and I began making sales. Painting from photos eventually starting getting old. Where was I in these paintings? Where was the emotion? I needed more.

I started experimenting with photography and lighting. I taught myself Photoshop and how to create composites. I abandoned painting for six months. When I returned, I came back with fresh eyes. I wanted to paint the goddess, the sadness, the silver lining, the beauty, and all that is woman.

Every woman that I paint represents a feeling or a dream that I’ve had. I draw inspiration from poets like Edgar Allen Poe. I find inspiration from Greek mythology, Irish folklore, romance, and nature.

I allow my artwork to tell a story using acrylic, inks, collage papers, sometimes gold leaf, and ALWAYS oil paint. In the beginning of my process I move the colors to form abstract shapes to create a composition or a background. I come in with an idea in mind but I also refrain from relying on concrete outcomes. Utilizing my intuition when it comes to brushwork and composition has really helped me loosen up and express myself. I think I create my best work when I feel both free and confident.

Art has truly healed my soul.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road to where I am now was definitely not smooth. Teaching myself perspective and color theory was a true struggle because I wanted to draw what I know versus what I could see with my eyes. The left brain is stubborn and knows what it should be, the right brain simply sees the lines, volume, and value. Once I figured it all out it became very much like putting a puzzle together with my mind and a loaded brush.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a portrait artist I specialize in oil paint, though for the past year I have been incorporating mixed media into my work. I am proud of how far I have come, I’m not entirely sure what set me apart from others. I think most artists begin with an idea that began as an emotion. I paint mostly women.

What’s next?
In the future I would like to develop children’s stories and illustrate them like I did when I was a child. I think imagination is so important for the creative mind, fostering this notion for children is important for the future.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ashleyelizabethburkefineart.com