[ot-caption title=” Ashby Bland is a student artist. (via Rachel Rutstein, Junior)”]

This week, Type One had the pleasure of discussing art with Ashby Bland. Bland’s interesting art includes a combination of photography and sewing, while she also produces fun and exaggerated doodles. This senior has been pursuing art since she was around eight, and plans to continue with possibly making her art on a larger scale for sale. Bland discusses with us her art, challenges, and possible business future.

T1: How old were you when you started making art?

Ashby: Well, I have done art since I was about eight. I was always in art classes but it wasn’t until junior year that I found my voice, my style.

T1: What’s your favorite style of art? Why?

Ashby: My favorite style would probably be surrealism. I like seeing things that don’t necessarily make sense, but still make you feel something .

T1: Are you taking classes related to art?

Ashby: I’ve taken art all throughout my years at Pine Crest. Last year I took AP 2D and this year I’m taking visual arts seminar. I used to take classes outside of school as well.

T1: What is your favorite thing about art?

Ashby: My favorite thing would probably be that it represents feelings that you can’t express verbally. Or that it helps describe an emotion or an event. You just draw something and, it’s like, this is how I feel.

T1: What is your favorite memory in your art career?

Ashby: When I was making my collages last year in art. There was a day when I messed up all of the collages, but I realized that I could make something interesting out of the mistakes I had made. I realized I could embrace the errors and fix them to create something new.

T1: What is your favorite piece you’ve done?

Ashby: My piece that focused around my shoot with Anabel Alpert where I sewed through the pictures that I took. It’s pretty simple, and I like how the photos came out. I also like my little doodles.

T1: What is your favorite quote? Why?

Ashby: “When you hit a wall — of your own imagined limitations — just kick it in” -Sam Shepard. This describes my experience with art. For a while, I had a hard time thinking that my art was real. I thought I was just putting things places and nothing was significant. I never thought I could draw anything I liked. This quote symbolizes that I passed a limitation I had.

T1: What are three words to describe yourself?

Ashby: Ambitious, creative, calculated (precise)

T1: What is some important knowledge you have gained from art?

Ashby: To embrace your limitations. And most of the time what you think will be your setback can actually propel you forward. Also, you can take knowledge from anyone. Anyone can contribute to art, whether or not they have experience or if you like them.

T1: How would you describe your creative process?

Ashby: I think about how I’m going to put things together. I look at pictures, I watch movies and I look at people around me. I think about what feeling I want my art to make. I sit down and carefully pick out photos for what they could feel like. I’m very precise and exact on how I do a brush stroke or how I sew things.

T1: What is your biggest challenge?

Ashby: Drawing. Or just feeling confident in that what I’m making is actually validated, that it’s something interesting. Because I don’t see a lot of stuff I do as art. Now I know everything can be art, but for a while I thought nothing was significant at all.

T1: How will you use art for the rest of your high school/career?

Ashby: I just like creating things so I use art as a way of expression. I’m pretty business oriented, so I want to make something that could be a brand. I want to make art on a bigger scale so that it could be displayed places and I could sell it to people. I want to be original and express myself and take photos that are mine. I want to make it a brand and make it my thing. I want to find a way to combine the faces and characters I draw with the collages and start mixed media: sewing, painting, drawing.

T1: Are you currently working on anything?

Ashby: Right now I’m just getting the elements to make my art on a bigger scale. I’m working on projects in my art class, seeing what I can do with my drawings, seeing how I can exaggerate my work. I’m trying out new techniques. I’m new to drawing, so I don’t know how to draw noses or lips, so I’m learning.  I’m looking at images and seeing if I can do this same thing.

T1: What do you hope people will take away from your work?

Ashby: I hope people just feel something. I hope they feel a type of emotion or think that it’s pretty enough to put up on their wall. I don’t need them to take anything super significant away, just enjoy it. Sometimes my work has meanings but it’s not necessary to always understand it.