Meet the Artist: Ashley Vanchu

Thank you so much for swinging by my site and joining me on the next step of my art journey.
I’d like to introduce myself a little more fully for those of you who are new here so you can know what to expect by following me.

I live on 15 acres in a small port town called Iroquois, about an hour south of Ottawa, with my husband, rabbit, and two dogs. A Boxador and a Bluetick Coon Beagle. We are big outdoors people and used to camp a lot…before we couldn’t handle sleeping on foam mats. We hope to start camping again in the future if we can get a small trailer.

I love painting portraits, but like to add some whimsy to them by adding abstract backgrounds, collaging them with other images, and adding random design elements. I think of it as a visual poem and hope others can connect with it as they maybe pull different meanings from it. Bright bold colours are a huge thing for me because it makes the painting more fun. I mean, I grew up thinking (and still do today) that Dolly Parton is the most amazing person ever. Boldness was kind of inevitable.   

I have set some very specific art goals for myself:
~ to create art that combines the technical skills of my mixed media, unique interpretations of my subjects, and bold, bright design for the sake of pure enjoyment. I just want my art to make people smile and stir up positive emotions

~ to make a living from my art, while still accommodating collectors of all ages and financial situations. For me, this means making original art in a range of sizes so everyone has an opportunity to own originals if they want. Starting out, I will also be making prints up to 13×19 so you can get your favourite piece at a more affordable price, in a size that fits your space better. There are just certain things in the human experience that I don’t think should be barred by money. Health (mental and physical), the arts, and education. 

~ to join a community (or couple of communities) of artists to create a network of knowledge, share my art at shows, and possibly find some community projects to be a part of. I LOVE community art like murals, painted hydro boxes, and the moose in Toronto, and I’d like to take part in some to beautify the communities around me. 

I’ve realized now that I will be painting and drawing for the rest of my life. So, why haven’t I been doing it professionally until the last few years?

Well, strap in for one heck of a journey. I was burnt out. I was sick. I was afraid and playing it safe. I didn’t understand why the world was just too confusing for me.

Life has kicked my butt through numerous pivots (Thank you, Ross, your couch, and that episode of friends for this reference I now use all the time) I’ve learned a lot along the way, and I’m not afraid anymore.

The burnout? I went straight from high school to university. Then straight from university to a private career college. University was, in one word, trauma. It was just the worst three years of my life and, full disclosure, it has been repressed so much that I actually don’t have many memories from those three years. The private career college was an amazing experience but very intense. We are talking 60-80 hour weeks between the work and classes. Not counting my commute. By the time I was done with both art degrees, I was burnt out. I didn’t paint or draw for 5 years.                                           

My sickness? I was diagnosed with multiple lumps in one breast that were misdiagnosed and required two surgeries. Followed a year later by multiple massive growths in my abdomen that turned out to be fibroids leading to a hysterectomy at 30. The two-month medical leave that followed after the hysterectomy was what started me back on the art path. I read books, I played with materials. I took an art class. It’s a long story I’ll have to cover in another post in the future.               

The being afraid? I had a solid, good-paying job in retail that led to web design and supervisor positions. I had a unique skill set that meant I felt very secure where I was. And why risk it? Because one of my mentors asked me to cover his animation classes while he was on medical leave and I remembered how much I loved making art and sharing it with people. The students were the best part that really made me miss my art.

The struggle with just making my way through society? It was undiagnosed combination ADHD. That was the reason for my inconsistent energy levels, depression, inability to follow through, inability to handle change, burnout after being in big social situations. I didn’t trust myself to finish projects or go to shows but now I know that I can because I know what my brain is doing, why I’m feeling the way I do, and how to manage it. It’s opened the door to a whole new potential for me. 

So, here we are, and thank you for listening to me ramble. I just want all my followers, subscribers, collectors….whatever you want to be called (maybe neon guildies?? LOL), to see that I am human.

I want my art to create beauty, delight, joy, and understanding in the midst of life’s struggles. Life can be overwhelming. I want people to either look at my art as a break from it all to just enjoy something bright and fun or maybe the imagery in the painting connects with you and it brings positivity to something negative.

Art as a whole helps hold society and is vital. When Covid hit and we were all stuck inside, we turned to the artists. We listened to music, watched movies and shows, made art, or bought art to decorate the homes we were now isolated to.

Thank you for trusting me with your time and joining me on this journey. I’ll be sharing some of my favourite tools, tips, tricks, processes, favourite artists and influences, and more here as my plan grows.