Ashley Mansfield Hoth
Art is integral to my being. It invites me to slow down, lets me use metaphors to sort through complicated things, and keeps my hands and heart busy when words fall short. I see such amazing things in nature and the human form, and getting to paint them feels like sitting down to a feast. I see stories and symbolism in everyday items and feel pure joy as I sketch the forms of my playing children. I swim back and forth between beautiful colors and petals painted just for color's sake and deep dives into issues like grief, pain, and spirituality.
I am classically trained in realism, and I love painting alla prima (in one layer). I live deep in the woods of Castle Rock, Washington, with my husband and three young children.
CV
When I'm allowed to question...
This little painting (it's little! The size of a business card!) was part of a series for the J. Kirk Richards Gallery. Florals burst through ripped, lined paper, pushing back against the pressure to stay between the lines. Sometimes things need more room to grow, and it's okay to take up space in unexpected ways. Other titles from the series included:
"When I am free to wonder"
"When I let my ideas take up space"
"When I don't stay between the lines"
"When I make room for my whole self"