Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Pelletier.
Ashley, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I began my formal art education in the sixth grade when I began taking drawing and painting classes from local artist, Margaret Lachut. I took classes with her until I graduated high school, and she entered my work into the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. I had been awarded two years in a row from Scholastics, and it was one of the greatest feelings. That’s how I knew I wanted to be an artist.
In the fall of 2011, I began college at the New Hampshire Institute of Art and majored in painting. I loved the school and I really thrived there. Unfortunately, I had gotten very sick and had to drop out after the fall 2013 semester. I was heartbroken. Although I only intended to take one semester off, I was out of school for two years and was doubtful that I’d go back.
In the spring of 2016 I transferred to Rhode Island College to finish my art degree and luckily nearly all of my credits were accepted. During my time at RIC I experienced tremendous growth both personally and artistically. This past May I graduated Magna Cum Laude and won the Graduation Senior Art Award. Since 2016 I have participated in several group shows and have had my first solo exhibition in the Chazan Gallery at Rhode Island College. Currently, I am painting, exhibiting, and preparing my portfolio for grad-school applications.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
I make representational oil paintings and drawings that revolve around self-portraiture. I believe that a self-portrait is not only a representation of one’s physical appearance but can also include one’s objects and living conditions. Most recently I have begun to investigate my bed as the subject of my self-portraits. I believe the condition of one’s bed is one of the most telling signs of a person’s personality. The way the blankets are tossed, how the pillows are arranged, and any clothes on the bed all give insight into an individual.
For me, the bed also symbolizes renewal, rejuvenation, and rebirth. These concepts are all derived from my own experiences recovering from physical and mental illness. It is through this lens that I create my self-portraits.
With my work I’m attempting to establish a human connection between myself and the viewer. Although my paintings revolve around personal experience, I believe that these experiences are shared. As human beings, we naturally look for ourselves in other people. It’s my hope that viewers will seem themselves reflected in my self-portraits. My work is almost always done from direct observation.
What do you know now that you wished you had learned earlier?
My advice would be not to care what other people think. It may seem silly, but it can be a huge hinderance to productivity and creativity. Of course, listening to other opinions and critique is important for growth, but being able to listen and stay true to yourself is important.
This was something that took me years to figure out while I was a student. I knew the kind of work I wanted to make, yet I let one professor’s opinions dictate too many of my decisions. It was a combination of that and feeling like my own ideas were not good enough. I hated my work at one point. It lacked everything I needed it to have and I had strayed so far from my own ideals that I wasn’t sure how to get back. Eventually I made it there and started to make work that was my own, but I wasted a lot of time. Don’t be afraid to pursue ideas that you’re genuinely interested and passionate about, and don’t be afraid to defend those ideas.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
Up until this point, I have exhibited my work in local galleries and group shows in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and New York.
I currently have a solo exhibition up in the Chazan Gallery at Rhode Island College until the end of the summer.
To support and stay updated on my work, you can also visit my website and social media pages: www.ashleypelletier.com, www.saatchiart.com/ashleypelletier, Instagram: anpelletier21
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ashleypelletier.com
- Email: anpelletier21@gmail.com
- Instagram: anpelletier21
- Other: www.saatchiart.com/ashleypelletier
Image Credit:
Installation shot by Joe Caster.
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