Interview with Ash Elizabeth!

Welcome October!
2025

   I am not immune to a good pumpkin. I love pumpkin pie, I think the autumn aesthetic is cute. Why not? Why not enjoy as many things as we possibly can? Autumn used to hold a lot of heavy worries for me, since it used to be when I had to go back to school (stressful) and it meant winter was coming (seasonal depression, head colds, and in Michigan just cold, cold, cold) but things change. It became the season of the Renaissance Festival and Comic Con when I lived in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and now it’s the season where you can finally go outside again soon here in Tennessee.
   October is the month of the drawing challenge originally made famous by the inktober craze, now morphed and co-opted by many names like drawtober and cozytober, etc. (Also alas yet another… individual... kind of made an ass of himself and a mess of inktober so we try not to use the name anymore.) Basically artists lose their minds trying to do a drawing every day around a daily word prompt. I believe I’ve participated maybe 5 times? Six? It’s a bit hard for me to keep track…

 This year I’m giving it a go again! In all honesty I get partly motivated by shame. I see ALL THESE ARTISTS DO IT, so I should be able to, too!!! I must try to be as good as them! Though I have no idea how some of them make an actual paint-on-paper-painting every day. I’ve had to turn it into my own version—I pick a prompt list, I do everything in procreate, and I start the week before it starts (if not sooner) so everything is done ahead of time. And I skip days, allowing myself weekends off where I just don’t do prompts that I can’t come up with anything for.
   It protects my sanity while still getting me a bit shaken out of my ruts. I’ve been beating my head against the same project for months now, trying to force myself to work only on the stories about Faun. But I don’t feel inspired anymore. Taking a break to draw “grandma strawberry” and “sleeping mountain” from the list by artist Kawafi for their kawafitober feels really good.
   It’s a pain in the butt to have to Glaze every piece before posting for my peace of mind, but here we are. (Glaze is a free program that protects images from being readable/digestible to AI.)
   I’m also preparing some original paintings on wood for my upcoming shows this month! Saturday October 4th I’m in downtown Clarksville TN for Artsville, and Sunday the 19th I’ll be at the Wilma Rudolph Event Center for the Halloween Market!
   September went fast. I know, the horrors persist, but let’s allow ourselves some small spaces where they are not what we focus on, eh? The horrors persist, but so do I. So do you. Bravo. And there are little wins and big wins too, if you look for them! Lots of little joys.
   Speaking of joys, I have another friend to introduce you to this month.

Ash Elizabeth Art

   Though I’ve never had the pleasure of meeting Ash in person, I very much count her among one of my good friends! We, cool kids that we are, met via tumblr years ago, and became snail mail pen pals as well as artist buddies. Yes, some people really do still send each other paper letters. You should try it, it’s good for the soul.
   Ash has created a cozy little universe that is a balm in these trying times. She paints wee little animals who would feed you and house you and read to you till you fell asleep safe under a quilt. She also crafts beautiful tiny clay things, books, cookies, mushrooms, you name it, it’s tiny and you can wear it on a chain. I’ve been obsessed with miniatures since I was miniature myself (in fact I once stole a tiny book from Frankenmuth when my parents told me I couldn’t have it because I was a goblin of a child and I needed it). And if you’ve ever loved pigeons, you’ve found a friend in Ash. How could you not love pigeons????
   The world is in desperate need of creators of whimsy and cozy peace, and Ash is out there making it for us. Take a look!

When did you start out writing/drawing, have you been drawing forever or did it find you later in life?

• I've been drawing/making art for as long as I can remember! I can't even pinpoint a time where I realized that it was something I enjoyed and wanted to pursue; it was kind of just always there. Never a question. My dad was also into art, so maybe it was just in my DNA!

What’s your favorite medium to work with?

• I'd say gouache paint or polymer clay. I can't choose!

Name an artist you’re inspired by!

• Taryn Knight!

What’s your favorite color right now?

• Probably forest green!

Can you pick a favorite animal?

• That's tough! I don't know if I have a single favorite, but I do love deer, cats, and pigeons!
  

How would you describe your work style? Steady? Sporadic?

• Definitely, unfortunately, sporadic. I wish I could be more consistent with my work, but a variety of physical and mental health problems usually make that difficult. But I'm working on being more gentle with myself and setting realistic goals!

What have you made that you’re the most proud of at this point in your life?

• Hmm that's also tough. There are a lot of paintings and clay things that I've made that I've been very proud of, but something that meant a lot for me to make was the quilt I made for my niece for her first birthday. I sewed the entire thing by hand (mostly because I was too stubborn to try to relearn how to use my sewing machine) but also I feel like it made it so much more special. She's only four, but I hope that it'll be something she treasures someday, and that she can feel how much love went into it.
  

What fictional character do you identify with the most?

• At the moment, probably Prince Henry from the book Red, White & Royal Blue. Not the prince part, but the sort of quiet, angsty, tea-drinking, Bake Off-watching part.

Is there something you do that almost without fail gets you out of a bad mood?

• Yes! Sitting on my bed with a cup of tea, a snack, and a funny YouTube video can relax me almost instantly. It's honestly my preferred state of being.

Any big goals for your work for the future?

• Oh gosh, so many. I'd love to publish a novel someday, maybe make another poetry book, and definitely to illustrate my own children's book!
  

What’s brought you the most joy lately?

• Probably the aforementioned watching YouTube, honestly. But also little things like flowers, spending time with friends, and cuddling with my cat.

Where can we find your work? What’s the best way we can support you?

• You can find my work on Instagram at ashelizabethart, or on Etsy as AshElizabethArt! And the best way to support me, aside from ordering from my shop I suppose, would be to just interact with my work on social media! (If you want to of course!) Liking, sharing, commenting, they're really little things but they can help a lot, and I love hearing what folks have to say, so don't be shy! Thank you so much! 
  

Ash Elizabeth Art

Please have a look at Ash’s SHOP and give her a follow. As always, the best way to support artists and small businesses is to DONATE, to BUY, or to SHARE!!! You know you need something tiny that sparks joy in your life.
 
   Gentle reminder again that we’re nearing the zone of holiday gifting! I won’t be able to take on last minute projects, so if you wanted a pet portrait, a family portrait, or a custom piece to gift it’s important to contact me before mid November. After that I can’t promise I’ll still have time or availability!
   I hope to see some of you at my coming shows! Thank you for being here friends, I hope you enjoyed my friend’s art as much as I do. I hope we’ve brought just a little bit of joy to your day!
Wishing you well and warm,
Lara Jean
Here’s a peek at my wood slice art!