edited by Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam
Spiderweb Salon is a community of artists and writers and performers, sure, but here’s a secret: there are some hardcore cat lovers in our bunch. Ashley Enfield is one of these fellow cat friends. Her first Spiderweb experience happened recently, when she attended a show in Dallas to hear her brother, and fellow Spiderweditor Sean Enfield, read some of his fiction. We’re looking forward to seeing more of her out and about!
Ashley Enfield, The Stage
Ashley Enfield, Untitled
What subjects interest you?
My strongest interest is my passion for animals. I’ve always had a connection to my fuzzy four-legged friends that extended to all animals. I even have a hard time killing bugs. Some other interests are piano, swimming, and also singing, although I’m not so good at that.
What have been some of the most rewarding experiences you've had as an artist?
Well, the best part of being an artist is making something and actually being so proud of it. Everyone has heard the statement you are your biggest critic. It is absolutely true. Getting into the college of visual arts was one of my best experiences. A few others were winning a few small awards in high school and getting a piece in an art show my first drawing class. The small things just remind you that you are actually good at what you do when you feel so bad at it.
Ashley Enfield, Contrapposto Cat
I noticed a lot of cats in your sketches. I'm a fellow cat lover. Do your cats help you with your work like mine do?
Well, when it comes to actually sitting down to draw or paint they are a huge hindrance because they lay all over my things, swat at my pencils, and lose my erasers. I wouldn’t have it any other way though. They inspire me and bring me peace and are great for practice drawing because they sleep so much. A lot of my ideas come from studying their features and habits. I would totally be a cat.
Who are some of your influences?
My influences are a lot of artists on Instagram like: Brett Maning, Tomatosita, Octoplum, Moxie Saturday and Sophy from the page Custom by Sophy. I’ll spend more time than I should scrolling their pages and others. I am also influenced by artist like Frida Kahlo, Van Gogh, Kara Walker, and Jean Shin. The way they address their audience and capture such a powerful message in one artwork is something I could only dream of doing.
Ashley Enfield, Silhouettes
Ashley Enfield, Mamaw Sam
Any upcoming shows or projects you'd like to share?
I am currently trying to finish up a t-shirt quilt I’ve been working on for a while so I do not have any big upcoming projects. I am just now switching gears to illustration so we will see where that takes me.
Ashley Enfield
Ashley Enfield is a mixed media artist and designer who works mostly with ink. She has a background in sculpture, paint, fibers, and digital media with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interdisciplinary Arts. She is currently focusing on illustration exploring themes of identity and what effects ethnicity plays on it as well as focusing on objects and how we use them to express ourselves.
If you’d like your work to be featured by Spiderweb Salon, send us your work through our submissions page.