ASHLEY ANNE CLARK
Into the Night
Every aspect of Ashley Anne Clark’s mixed media paintings are inspired by nature. Animals are her primary subjects, and she collaborates with the natural world through the found objects that appear on her canvases. “Collecting from the shorelines and forests in my home province of Prince Edward Island allows me to connect with the land and preserve a small piece of it in a unique way,” says the artist. “I create my mixed media drawings with natural materials such as seaweed, tree branches and lichen…It makes the animals look more at home on the canvas and brings a small piece of the wilderness into spaces they are displayed in.”
Clark specializes in nocturnal scenes that glimpse into a world that is full of life and intrigue after people have gone to sleep. As she explains, in the compositions, the animals have a sense of stillness as well as a connection to one another and their surroundings. The creatures depicted— foxes, moths, hedgehogs, owls, bears and more— also have vivid personalities that allow collectors to connect with them.
“I believe that animals carry a lot of symbolism and can appear at various, important times in your life. My drawings are meant to promote storytelling. The narratives in them are open to interpretation. Viewers often make their own connections to the animals portrayed and create
a story based on past experiences,” Clark says. “The scenes bring forth old memories whether it be of an encounter with wildlife directly or a representation of a relationship with a loved one. I aim to focus on the relationships between each animal as well as the thoughts and emotions they are processing in the moment they are depicted.”
September 1 through 28, Lotton Gallery in Chicago will host a solo exhibition featuring Clark’s newest paintings. She adds, “The focus of my practice right now is to promote the love of animals and keep creating unique creatures that have the ability to connect to individuals.”
“For the love of wildlife, Ashley Anne Clark strives to make the world a better place with her nocturnal creatures, portraying the inner life of animals.”
— Christina Franzoso, director, Lotton Gallery