meet our Interview guest
ASHLEY HENRY
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My name is Ashley Henry and I was born in Bristol, Pennsylvania. I have always had a natural draw towards creativity but I became more serious about art as I entered my senior year of high school. After graduating high school, I went on to further my education at Roberts Wesleyan College and in 2015 I received a B.A. in Communication & Studio Art. During my studies, I was particularly captivated by Impressionism and Baroque style paintings. Artists like Cezanne with his use of “pulsating” colors and crisp lines and artists akin to Rachel Ruysch who captured strong contrasts between light and dark in an art style called chiaroscuro inspired my own style the most. I like to use bold colors, dramatic lines and unique light sources to make the viewer’s eye move seamlessly across the canvas. When I officially surrendered my life to the Lord in spring of 2015, I decided that I wanted my art to glorify God. To this day, what I enjoy most about painting is that every time I pick up a paintbrush, I get to paint with God and worship Him with the gifts he has given me!
Instagram: @ashleyhenryartist
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ashleyhenryartist/
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.ashleyhenryartist.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ashleyhenryart
Instagram: @ashleyhenryartist
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ashleyhenryartist/
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.ashleyhenryartist.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ashleyhenryart
Can you tell us about your introduction to art? How did you know you had a creative gift?
When I was a kid, I remember taking hours upon hours to color and draw with my Mom. I remember distinctly how she would draw flowers and as I watched, I determined to copy her as best as I could. When I started attending school, I began to notice that in art class I was more engaged than the other students. I remember distinctly in 3rd grade, when my teacher Mrs. Margolis taught us how to make a 3D house, I almost fell out of my chair I was so excited. With many of my pieces shown in student art shows at school and with family and friends constantly encouraging me to pursue art, I began to believe that maybe there could be more to what I was going to do with this gift in the long run.
Did you ever think you’d be selling your art, or teaching art?
In high school as my confidence grew, I believed that I would sell art one day. I never had a desire to teach art, but as I continue to get older, I see the value in passing on the knowledge that has been given to me. I’m not quite there yet practically speaking, but know I am getting warmed up to the idea of teaching people in the future.
How do you encounter the Lord in your creativity?
If I could sum up the ways I encounter the Lord through creativity, I would say it is mainly through seeing, conversing with God and beholding Him.
There are times that I go throughout my day and the Lord will drop an image into my mind. I will see something or think about something and begin to sketch what I imagined. God mostly speaks to me in this way. Other times I may have an idea for a painting and I have a conversation with God about what the end of the painting will look like. Either way, there is conversation and fellowship with the Lord as I work through the art making process.
In the process of painting, Holy Spirit is my helper and teacher. He helps me properly measure, create colors, paint, and convey the message He wants to speak to the world. He does this by speaking to me like a friend. I remember painting on stage one time and I forgot how to make the color brown. I asked God for help and He said, “add yellow.” When I did, it made the perfect color brown! There have been other times where I sensed something was off with a painting. On one particular occasion as I looked not so contentedly at the piece I was finishing, God said, “add some blue, but don’t go overboard.” Instantly my heart leapt as I imagined adding blue highlights to various parts of the canvas. I actually added too many blue highlights and had to wipe some away, but that was God teaching me. He speaks to me in this way and I love to talk to Him as I paint.
Finally, I encounter the Lord by beholding His beauty in nature. I make an effort to go on walks, visit lakes and hike. I take time to be still and intently look at a leaf or the lines in a spider’s web. I quite literally smell the flowers or sit to hear the gentle ebb and flow of water. Not only does this inspire me and help me establish mental images for future paintings, most importantly it helps me to be refreshed and see the world how God sees it.
When I was a kid, I remember taking hours upon hours to color and draw with my Mom. I remember distinctly how she would draw flowers and as I watched, I determined to copy her as best as I could. When I started attending school, I began to notice that in art class I was more engaged than the other students. I remember distinctly in 3rd grade, when my teacher Mrs. Margolis taught us how to make a 3D house, I almost fell out of my chair I was so excited. With many of my pieces shown in student art shows at school and with family and friends constantly encouraging me to pursue art, I began to believe that maybe there could be more to what I was going to do with this gift in the long run.
Did you ever think you’d be selling your art, or teaching art?
In high school as my confidence grew, I believed that I would sell art one day. I never had a desire to teach art, but as I continue to get older, I see the value in passing on the knowledge that has been given to me. I’m not quite there yet practically speaking, but know I am getting warmed up to the idea of teaching people in the future.
How do you encounter the Lord in your creativity?
If I could sum up the ways I encounter the Lord through creativity, I would say it is mainly through seeing, conversing with God and beholding Him.
There are times that I go throughout my day and the Lord will drop an image into my mind. I will see something or think about something and begin to sketch what I imagined. God mostly speaks to me in this way. Other times I may have an idea for a painting and I have a conversation with God about what the end of the painting will look like. Either way, there is conversation and fellowship with the Lord as I work through the art making process.
In the process of painting, Holy Spirit is my helper and teacher. He helps me properly measure, create colors, paint, and convey the message He wants to speak to the world. He does this by speaking to me like a friend. I remember painting on stage one time and I forgot how to make the color brown. I asked God for help and He said, “add yellow.” When I did, it made the perfect color brown! There have been other times where I sensed something was off with a painting. On one particular occasion as I looked not so contentedly at the piece I was finishing, God said, “add some blue, but don’t go overboard.” Instantly my heart leapt as I imagined adding blue highlights to various parts of the canvas. I actually added too many blue highlights and had to wipe some away, but that was God teaching me. He speaks to me in this way and I love to talk to Him as I paint.
Finally, I encounter the Lord by beholding His beauty in nature. I make an effort to go on walks, visit lakes and hike. I take time to be still and intently look at a leaf or the lines in a spider’s web. I quite literally smell the flowers or sit to hear the gentle ebb and flow of water. Not only does this inspire me and help me establish mental images for future paintings, most importantly it helps me to be refreshed and see the world how God sees it.
What are your favorite ways to express your creativity?
My favorite way to express creativity is through painting. I only paint with acrylic at this time.
Is there more than one creative outlet for you? Do they all come together or totally separate?
Yes, I have a variety of creative outlets. I enjoy drawing with pencil and pen, writing poetry and playing musical instruments like ukulele and guitar.
Are others in your family creative too?
My family is very creative but all in different ways. My Dad is creative in how he cooks, my Mom in drawing and how she cares for people. My brother has skills when it comes to photography and my sister when it comes to drawing and makeup.
What do you feel God is calling you to in this season with your creativeness?
In this season I feel God calling me just to be faithful with what I have and trust that He will do with the art what He has planned for it. The Lord told me recently to remember the story of the boy with the five loaves and two fish. Although the boy did not have a lot, he still gave what he had to the Lord and the Lord increased it dramatically. God told me that if I bring to Him the little that I have, He will do the same and multiply it! I hold on to this promise as I remain faithful to what He has called me to do.
Some practical steps you'd encourage other creatives to take to become productive and learn business skills etc.?
To become productive, I would encourage other creatives to set aside time to create and seek knowledge. When I was young, outside of school I used to pour over YouTube videos to learn how to draw and paint. I gave myself time to explore different mediums until I found what I liked. At that time, I used to wait until I was inspired to paint, but now I plan to paint more frequently whether I feel like it or not. I have noticed that when I just start creating, the love for creating begins to flow through me once again. In addition, to be productive on the business side, I attend seminars and ask more experienced people questions and advice. I have come to learn that there are so many teachers and so many free resources to take advantage of in this world, the only thing it requires of us is to start looking and jump at those opportunities to learn!
Any encouraging words, words of wisdom from what you've learned to help other creatives on their journey to being abundant and thriving artists/creatives/makers?
If anything, I would encourage other artists to do this- do what you love to do and don’t compare your work with other people. The Lord showed me once that if you look in comparison to someone else, you can put yourself in danger of one of two things. On one hand, you could put yourself above the other person to say, “I’m better than that” which can lead to pride. On the other hand, you could put yourself below the other person and think, “I wish I had that skill, I wish I were like them...” etc which could put yourself in a position for envy or jealousy. God showed me to thank Him for the blessings that are perceived someone else’s life and pray that that same grace I see in their lives would be true for my own life too. Being content with where we are in life and at peace with the process of our creative journeys will free us as artists and help us stay true to what God is calling us to do!
My favorite way to express creativity is through painting. I only paint with acrylic at this time.
Is there more than one creative outlet for you? Do they all come together or totally separate?
Yes, I have a variety of creative outlets. I enjoy drawing with pencil and pen, writing poetry and playing musical instruments like ukulele and guitar.
Are others in your family creative too?
My family is very creative but all in different ways. My Dad is creative in how he cooks, my Mom in drawing and how she cares for people. My brother has skills when it comes to photography and my sister when it comes to drawing and makeup.
What do you feel God is calling you to in this season with your creativeness?
In this season I feel God calling me just to be faithful with what I have and trust that He will do with the art what He has planned for it. The Lord told me recently to remember the story of the boy with the five loaves and two fish. Although the boy did not have a lot, he still gave what he had to the Lord and the Lord increased it dramatically. God told me that if I bring to Him the little that I have, He will do the same and multiply it! I hold on to this promise as I remain faithful to what He has called me to do.
Some practical steps you'd encourage other creatives to take to become productive and learn business skills etc.?
To become productive, I would encourage other creatives to set aside time to create and seek knowledge. When I was young, outside of school I used to pour over YouTube videos to learn how to draw and paint. I gave myself time to explore different mediums until I found what I liked. At that time, I used to wait until I was inspired to paint, but now I plan to paint more frequently whether I feel like it or not. I have noticed that when I just start creating, the love for creating begins to flow through me once again. In addition, to be productive on the business side, I attend seminars and ask more experienced people questions and advice. I have come to learn that there are so many teachers and so many free resources to take advantage of in this world, the only thing it requires of us is to start looking and jump at those opportunities to learn!
Any encouraging words, words of wisdom from what you've learned to help other creatives on their journey to being abundant and thriving artists/creatives/makers?
If anything, I would encourage other artists to do this- do what you love to do and don’t compare your work with other people. The Lord showed me once that if you look in comparison to someone else, you can put yourself in danger of one of two things. On one hand, you could put yourself above the other person to say, “I’m better than that” which can lead to pride. On the other hand, you could put yourself below the other person and think, “I wish I had that skill, I wish I were like them...” etc which could put yourself in a position for envy or jealousy. God showed me to thank Him for the blessings that are perceived someone else’s life and pray that that same grace I see in their lives would be true for my own life too. Being content with where we are in life and at peace with the process of our creative journeys will free us as artists and help us stay true to what God is calling us to do!