J. ASHLEY KIRBY
Medium: Painting , Visual Arts
Contact Information
(864) 905-8083
www.jashleykirby.comArtist Statement
Several years ago I watched a vice-presidential debate where one candidate asked: “Who am I?” Why am I here?” I think that these questions are a constant thread in the artist’s mind. We are searching for an artistic identity amid all the confusion and noise and to find our place in this maze and mass of creative energy. The best answer for me, I suppose, is in the simplicity of my approach — paint what I want you to see that I felt important enough to put on paper. Color that finds its own way, co-mingling — the magical lure of watercolor. Learning to use it and control it is a lifetime pursuit. I paint people, places, and things that are pleasing to my eye. Many of my paintings are from places visited with a strong influence from several years living, traveling and studying in Europe and Asia. My work is traditional transparent watercolor on cotton rag paper. I use a limited palette, mix my colors on the paper and rarely use black or white paint-they are opaque and lack the luminescence I seek.