We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ashlie Chavez. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ashlie below.
Hi Ashlie , appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?
The compulsion to create.
Of course, that’s speaking in regards to making art. But it’s definitely a drive that transcends to all aspects of life. I started making art so young and as I’ve gotten older the need just gets stronger. We’re packed down with so many responsibilities- children, aging grandparents, lawsuits, school loans, large dogs, money to keep living, real tragedies etc- it’s amazing that despite all that one can still have this NEED to MAKE THINGS.
That workhorse ethic towards art has made me resilient in all areas of life.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I am an Artist and Photographer. I shoot both secularly (freelance and in-house) and personally, but shooting analogue Fine Art is what started my photography career and is what keeps it going.
I also run an online art store called Art For Your Walls selling my own work. My main medium outside of film is analogue collage- so by hand with paper and not digitally composed.
Collage commissions have actually been my most enjoyable projects- album covers being my favorite.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The lessons I carry with me are in regards to being a Fine Artist. Principles are so important for anyone who wants a career in the Creative Field because the work you make for non commercial purposes sets your foundation for everything else.
1) Whatever you do, do it for a reason. Make everything with intent. If you work fortuitously, it may end up looking amazing or it might suck. If you work with intent, you’ve successfully visualized and executed an idea whether it looks good or not.
2) Concept before aesthetic. If you’re going for a “look” work can be disingenuous. If you’re visualizing a concept, the aesthetic will naturally follow.
3) Work with what you have and be resourceful. If you only work with what you have, your work will always be original. If you can make something out of nothing, you can make anything.
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
My mom being a photographer working out of the house with twin girls was pretty impactful .
Our mom (my twin sister and I are both photographers) was a professional photographer and had a studio in our house growing up. I remember being seven and always having people over to shoot Olan Mills style portraits. She’d dress us up for test shoots in old wedding dresses.
I didn’t appreciate it then but when I understood what art was, I became obsessed with photography. She handed down her equipment to us, specifically her Pentax 645 and that started everything. That’s still my go-to camera 20 years later (and many camera bodies later hehe). For years she’d take us to a local darkroom after school and process film and develop photos with us before we could drive. Eventually she’d strip her house of every baroque wood frame so we could have shows. Today I still use her photo notes in old workbooks she’s handed down and try to replicate photos of her so the impact hasn’t ended.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ashliechavez.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashliesucks
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashlie-chavez/
- Other: https://artforyourwalls.org – online art store https://www.instagram.com/artforyourwalls/ – art store
- insta
