While Ashleys‘ paintings are primarily portraits and figurative pictures. His aim is not to represent a beautiful image of a person, an individual, rather it’s an ongoing exploration of the process itself; how the painting is created in relation to its structure, composition, colour and mark making.
Accidents and mishaps play a large part in his process, often layering and scraping, his palette reduced to tonal impressions. This playful investigation into the qualities of paint and the act of mark making are what give these paintings their energy and vibrancy. They are not still, always moving.