ASHLEIGH MARIE SUAREZ
Originally from Seneca, SC, a competitive gymnastics carreer led Ashleigh to James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA where she earned an undergraduate degree in Health Sciences/Pre-Med. "As a gymnast, using the human body as a means of creative expression and strength was always a huge part of my identity." However, her affinity for human anatomy and physiology, led her The University of Maryland-Baltimore, where she received a Masters Degree in Pathology and practiced as a full-time Pathologists' Assistant for over 10 years, gaining an intimate understanding of the human form. Ashleigh returned to creativity as a means to process traumatic grief and reconnect with herself. "Coming back to self-expression through visual art feels like coming home to who I am".
I put down my scalpel and picked up a palette knife. #aknifeinmyart
Ashleigh is deeply grateful for her artistic journey and never takes for granted how her formal education provides a mental roadmap for understanding the human form. Whether painting from live models or her own imagination, she sees her subjects from the inside out. Combining her trained skills with intuitive artistic expression, she aims to evoke an emotional response through her work. "Painting allows me to fully see my subject and notice nuances that might normally go ignored. I feel a connection to my subject when I paint and I find I learn more about myself by deeply observing my subjects". Ashleigh trades her scalpel for a palette knife when painting. This technique gives her artwork clean color, compelling texture and dynamic shape.
Inspired by her own vivid and colorful dreams, life experiences, surroundings and current events, she most often paint from life. "I like the energy of the shared experience. I love being in a room full of artists where everyone is silently going about their work, each painting, sculpting or drawing the same subject but seeing it so differently from one another. It shifts my perspective and gives me a glimpse into how others view the world. It teaches me compassion".
Ashleigh does not consider herself "self-taught". She leans heavily on her formal education and knowledge of anatomy while continually learning techniques from other artists and incorporating those into her own unique style. "Every person I encounter is a teacher and those lessons are reflected in my work. I am forever a student, taking classes and workshops from artists I admire. I consider my two children to be my greatest teachers and also my greatest works".
Although focused on figurative art, Ashleigh's work is versatile. She is a member of The Chestnut Group in Nashville TN, and enjoys painting plein air and studio landscapes as well as still life.
Ashleigh's work can be found at ArtBeat, an online marketplace based in Nashville, TN. Ashleigh is also represented at Art Highlands Gallery in Highlands, NC. Ashleigh has collaborated on several projects with Nashville-based designer, Julie Couch of Julie Couch Interiors and is represented by Grace Gallery. Ashleigh's work is published in The Living Kitchen, issue 4.
