ASHLEY LOHR
Location:
Petersburg, AK, USA
ARTIST BIO
Ashley Lohr is an artist, art educator and earned her masters in painting in 2015. In 2019, the art form of enameling for jewelry was introduced to Ashley which she turned into a daily practice.
Ashley’s jewelry can be found in shops and galleries sprinkled in the United States. Alaska is her home state and her handcrafted jewelry can be found in 10+ establishments supporting Alaskan artists.
In the last five years, Ashley has been hosted as a solo exhibitor in five shows and has been selected into 10 juried exhibitions.
She uses social media to share her work process and new work; sells her jewelry via her website and Etsy.
Ashley is married to a commercial fisherman, has two children and has been teaching since 2008.
ARTIST STATEMENT
Across petite copper surfaces, my compositions of glass display varicolored palettes and local glimpses of mountains, waterfalls, wild berries and flowers. Layering my surroundings into my art practice grounds my abstract work and provides audience engagement.
While out walking, I seek and collect natural and man-made items that fit in the palm of my hand. These found items are later used as stencils to record my surroundings. When back in my studio, I lay a found stencil on a copper blank and methodically sift powder enamel over and around to capture its silhouette. Each piece is complete after 2-7 rounds of sifting, torching and cooling.
I fully utilize my years of painting as an enamel jewelry artist. A butane torch flame magically transitions layers of powder medium to a glossy glass surface. The process of torch firing is mesmerizing; the event of watching the powder melt captures my full attention. My dragging and scratching sgraffito process through the powder and melting enamel acts like brush strokes when I push color and refine my designs.
My choice of palettes stem from decades of interest in the energy color-combinations can provide. Smooth floods of blending color next to bordered opaques of repeated silhouettes, echo true pops of color found throughout Alaskan rainforest landscapes.
www.therosiefinn.com
IG: @therosiefinn
