Ash Holmes
Ash Holmes is a Sydney-based artist who draws on music and nature for an ever-evolving source of inspiration for her large-scale paintings.
Words: Emma-Kate Wilson
The Dance by Ash Holmes from her exhibition, CLOUDS.
Ash Holmes in her Northern Beaches studio. Photo - Benito Martin Photography courtesy of Bed Threads.
Dusk Swim for Two by Ash Holmes from her exhibition, CLOUDS.
Like clouds drifting through the sky, Ash Holmes’ paintings speak of whimsical notions of abstraction. In soft, muted pink tones, fitting for the millennial artist, the canvases feature mark making and layers of oil and acrylic that reveal traces of memory. Texture is built through expressive brushstrokes that narrate the artist’s experiences, where she draws on simplicity and nature in her home on Sydney’s Northern Beaches.
Fittingly, Ash’s new exhibition, opening on Friday 25th October, is called ‘Clouds’ and is a visual representation into the exploration into the young artist’s subconscious. “The concept for a painting can be inspired by an impulsive vision or an unexpected muse,” Ash reflects.
A colourful corner in the Northern Beaches studio of Ash Holmes - brimming with work from her exhibition, CLOUDS. Photo - Ash Holmes.
“My influences come from colour in nature and energy in music. I have always felt an inner urge to create, and this has driven me into practising it daily since I can remember.”
In Town, Nicé by Ash Holmes from her exhibition, CLOUDS.
Ash Holmes in her Northern Beaches studio. Photo - Benito Martin Photography courtesy of Bed Threads.
Born in 1994, you could mistakenly think Ash was an artist with years of experience and time. Even more of a surprise is Ash’s lack of formal art education, as she shares, she is self-taught after completing her Visual Arts classes at 18. However, art is second nature to the artist, as a fourth generation of female-artists — after her great-grandmother, grandmother, and mother.
“Being creative was always supported within my family. I loved playing the guitar when I was younger; I connected with drawing in my early years at school.”
It seems only natural then that along with abstraction, Ash depicts a woman figure-motif in her paintings. Collaborations include the feminine brands, Maurie + Eve, and Wanderlust Swim. She replies that equality in the art world is important to her. “I hope my works can inspire and challenge those who encounter them,” Ash muses.
Fiore Reflection by Ash Holmes from her exhibition, CLOUDS.
“I hope my works can inspire and challenge those who encounter them,” says Ash Holmes. Photo - Ash Holmes.
Ash describes her gravitation to art as a “strong pull” to large-scale canvases with acrylic paint. With exhibitions across Sydney, Bryon Bay, Marbella, and work held in private collections in Australia, New Zealand, US, Denmark, Canada, Singapore, Dubai and Spain — the artist proves that instinct can override a need for formal art education.
“It’s important to me to portray a healthy sense of self-confidence and not to compare one another, but to be inspired and encourage each other to keep creating.”
Ash Holmes in her Northern Beaches studio. Photo - Benito Martin Photography courtesy of Bed Threads.
1990 Sculpture by Ash Holmes from her exhibition, CLOUDS.
VISIT
CLOUDS OPENING NIGHT ON FRIDAY 25TH OF OCTOBER 6 - 8.30PM STUDIO 4, UNIT 4/42-42 WATTLE ROAD, BROOKVALE, SYDNEY