I create art to express my feelings of adrenaline, passion, and inspiration from music and to connect with those who share those sentiments.
You decide who will appear in Artforum Magazine, take home $25,000, and display their work at The Art of Elysium's Salon!
My favorite type of art to create is unafraid to be imperfect. I like to make abstract renditions of photographs, portraits, and album covers using acrylic paint and palette knives for application. This process allows me to paint pieces that are very layered, textured, and unrefined- much like the music and artists that inspire this work. My goal is to connect people and evoke feelings of familiarity and nostalgia for the viewer.
Where do you find inspiration?Music from the past and present has served as my reliable muse for the last 6 years. When listening to an album, the sensations of inspiration and excitement are ones that I capture and translate into a visual-the sounds serve as the sketch. Moving forward as an artist, after I complete my next album series, I'd like to draw inspiration from within. For my new body of work I would like to use photographs of my own for reference to create abstract style paintings.
What would you do with $25,000?I recently decided to pursue my dream of having a full-time art career, selling my personal work and taking on commission requests. With this award, I would be given the opportunity to pursue this dream in New York and cover living expenses and gallery applications. I would also use this money to rent a proper studio space where I can work on larger scale pieces and cover material costs (camera, painting supplies, studio equipment, etc.).
Vote for Ashley Simmons to become The People's Artist while supporting a great cause! Cast your free daily vote or make an even bigger impact when you vote by donation, supporting The Art of Elysium in their mission to use art as a catalyst to help people triumph over difficult life challenges.
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