About the Artist
Background
Hailing from the New York Metropolitan area, Ashley Coll studied art at Vassar, Columbia, Hofstra University, the Art Students’ League in New York and the Du Cret School of Art in New Jersey. She has shared her talents and knowledge as an instructor with several colleges and the University of Virginia’s Far Eastern Division in Okinawa.
Artist’s Themes and Expressions
Ms. Coll has worked in various mediums (ceramics, oil, and metal, creating a line of avant-garde jewelry), the chosen medium for her most recent work is watercolor , alcohol ink and acrylic. Utilizing Arches watercolor paper and canvas, she achieves her visual effect by applying multiple layers of glazes. Working from background to foreground, she does not use frisket to block out areas, but rather over-paints with gouache when necessary
In her work Ashley attempts to present vignettes of nature in an up close and personal way. She verbalizes her objectives as: “I don’t want to stand back from nature and view the broad picture, but rather, examine it under my personal microscope, presenting an intimate picture without visual ambiguity. I attempt to create a world the viewer will want to enter and, in entering, discover something new. I see the world as a place of awe and beauty, and try to incorporate this feeling into my work. If I were to put a label onto my work I would call it super realism.”
Ashley has recently become interested in the art of Sumi-e, Chinese brush painting. As president of the New Jersey Chapter of the American Sumi-e she is trying to foster an appreciation for this ancient form of art and incorporate its spontaneity and fluidity into her own work.
At the moment, along with themes from nature, Ashley is excitedly exploring the use of spiritual and religious symbolism in her work.