Welcome!

I’m Ash, a 35 year old non-binary person(they/them) living in Portland, Oregon. I’m an artist, educator and documentarian with a focus intersecting watercolor and ink portraiture with photography and conversation.

Young Ash loved scribbling song lyrics onto their notebooks and drawing portraits of their favorite bands. As I’ve grown, so much has changed yet so much stayed the same. These days, I am a painter, a daily poet, a photographer, a video diary maker, a  listener, story-teller and ultimate crier.  My work combines human connection with text and paint and is deeply rooted in personal experiences within and surrounding the themes of mental health, grief, trauma and healing.

Above all, I am interested in creating spaces for people to feel. I am interested in what we do and don’t talk about when we talk about grief. I am interested in how we create safety within ourselves and our communities, from the smallest circles to the farthest reaching net. I explore these themes and the overall seemingly unseen connections that tie us together within our internal worlds. Whether my work is self exploratory or in collaboration with the emotions and thoughts of others, the goal is always to nurture emotional response and reflection. I seek encounters to listen to others’ stories and provide a platform for healing through connection and conversation. The resulting documentation is produced in colorfully and emotionally rendered photography, watercolor portraiture and text.

I received my Bachelor of Fine Arts from Portland State University in 2023 and a Masters in Education with an Art Endorsement in 2024 to fulfill my dream of working with young people. I am passionate about youth mental health and the healing that happens when we intentionally combine art and our mental wellbeing. I work with our youth to help them develop skills in mindfulness, connection with each other and our communities, self awareness, coping, self confidence, and so much more…all through art! I am currently attending Eastern Oregon University for my Special Education endorsement and am working as a Learning Specialist at a local elementary school.

My socially engaged art practice informs the work I am doing for my future classroom and I can’t wait to bring mental health and community building practices into the public school setting!

[photo by Dustin Gluvna// www.sinister-cellar.com]