Catch up with Ash White

August 01, 2019

Catch up with Ash White

CATCH UP WITH ASH WHITE

WORK/ BUSINESS / CREATIVE DESCRIPTION: Visual Artist / Graphic Design / Illustration / Content Creation

1. Tell us a bit about yourself. What do you do for work? Where do you live? A fun fact?

I’ve been a stay-at-home-mum full time for the past five years and started this little side project in order to document, create and enjoy my beautiful life and the things I’ve learnt along the way. Living in Melbourne, I’m surrounded by amazing food, differing cultural backgrounds, art, and people to constantly inspire me! I’m one quarter Sri-Lankan which often surprises people when I tell them because I don’t look it. I account my love of exotic food and obsession with Asian culture on my Sri-Lankan heritage.

2. What is your creative project / business? Is it full time? Is a side hussle?

My creative project is ashwhite.co illustration and design. I work on these drawings, paintings, and digital illustrations amidst the chaos of full-time parenting! It’s a really nice way to break up my day, slow down, and meditate, amidst the mundane and highly transactional work of managing a household.

3. How and when did you start your creative project?

I started this project a couple of years back, I wanted to illustrate a recipe I’d used for sourdough bread and starter. I painted it in watercolour first then digitised it in Illustrator into a nine-step comic-style illustration. I really loved the outcome and decided to start a series of ‘how to’ illustrations with this comic, simplistic, cute style. From there as I drew bits and pieces, food, plants, I discovered more of my style and the colour palette I liked and wanted to create my work around.

4. What are your go creative tools? Fave supply shop? Or computer program?

I used Windsor & Newton half pan watercolours, prismacolour pencils, photoshop and illustrator. I’m yet to own a tablet, and use the old school ‘pen tool’ to draw and cut out.

5. How does your creative project make you feel?

I feel connected, content, and excited when I complete a work I’m happy with and put it out into the world. I love the online community and supporting and connecting with other artists and people, through my work.

6. Who, What & where inspires you and your work?

Slow living, Australiana, people and their stories, inspire my work. I believe words are a really undervalued tool for empowering, building up and affirming each other and hope to create more work around this in the future. I’d love to write and illustrate a children’s book. I'm environmentally conscious and intentionally surround myself with beauty and nature (crazy plant lady) and this lifestyle inspires my creative ethos. I love simplified and low-chemical options for household products. I enjoy cooking and eating above almost anything else, so I started illustrating recipes and things in my home and around my lifestyle. I love to play around with illustrating things in a cute way, I am drawn to neutral, warm tones.

7. Who is your favourite famous artist or creative person?

I don’t have one! I feel inspired by everything and everyone, in a way. I love following Australian creatives though! We are such a little random bunch of people over here miles away from the rest of the world, doing our thing.

8. Do you have any podcast, tv shows or book recommendations?

Podcast: Your Creative Start with Jaharn Quinn.

Tv Show: Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat

Book: The Art of Simple - Eleanor Ozich

9. Name your fave Instagram accounts.

@coucou_illustration @fotinitikkouillustration @theapricotmemoirs @morganharpernichols @rebeccakateartist @jasmine dowling @kellythompsoncreative @mitherzundpinsel @aljahorvat

10. Tell us what your average day looks like?

It looks like mum-duties, cooking, drawing, reading, social dates.

11. What’s your favourite thing to do on the weekend when you have no plans?

Visit one of Melbourne’s amazing food or craft markets, the Dandenong Ranges, or the Yarra Valley. Create a fire in the backyard, cook food on the fire, garden, read a book, listen to amazing music really loud, spend quality time with friends and family.

12. Tell us what is next. What are your plans in life and your creative project. What are you working on now?

Life’s going to look pretty different next year as my daughter goes to school and I have a lot more time back to spend working, and creating! I feel I’m gearing up for that this year, looking forward to surprises and adventures in the near future, not sure exactly what it’s going to look like but I feel a sense of expectancy.