Ashton Hall
is a rare package in the art world. She is young, quite aggressive in
her business strategies, very talented in her field, and blessed with
super-model good looks. My conclusions after our interview were that
she should go far. Maybe even television. She will get interviews,
contracts, and other opportunities because of her appearance, but
unlike many, she will be able to capitalize on them because she is as
fierce as she is beautiful.
I would love for P.C.
correctness-sake to ignore the issues of superficial qualities which
should not matter. But I am an artist, and visuals are everything.
And they do matter and we know they do. But as Jesus quipped, “To
whom much is given, much is expected.” It will be up to Ashton not
to mess it all up. And there is the rub.
"The Wheel of Fortune"
Ashton is kind of... complicated. In a good way!
Can a lovely young person
with her life in front of her, with so much going for her,
instinctively make those correct choices and decisions which could
take her to the “top”? They often do not.
It is not usually the
“blessed,” artistic savants who make it. Things come too easily
for them. The real artists I know achieved decent careers with tough
persistence and the ability to ignore and overcome adversity. I know
plenty of artists, making it as such, who had the gift of
determination, but were perhaps less talented than some of the
fabulously gifted students I have taught who lacked personal drive or
inspiration. Those who lack discipline, motivation or self-direction
fall by the wayside like mud off of a four-wheeler in the Brazos
bottom.
Ashton Hall: "I'm good at design... can I say that?"
So let me introduce you to
another artist you wish you had met. Her mud will stick. Ashton Hall
grew up in a “blue-collar” home, with small-town values and
exposure to traditional Midwestern American culture. She is energetic
and passionate about her art, and has a hungry soul. A conversation
with her reveals many hours of thought and investigation in our
world... and beyond. And she has gained a wisdom beyond her years.
Ashton pursued a career in
graphic design, and found that she could do it, but it did not begin
to utilize all of her talents. It was, as she says (and take no
offense ), a “normal person job.” Still it was a very beneficial
training, giving her skills she will always utilize, as artists today
are forced to implement technology to be competitive. She has tried
many jobs in fact, but she has always been brought back to pushing
around pigments. Painting is what she was born to do.
She came to Navasota to
get away from the hometown where she grew up, to discover herself
beyond the boundaries which have always contained her. And she came
with few expectations, and mostly just a sense of adventure. Ashton
had decided to try to make it as an artist.
Horlock House Study
The completely restored Victorian house built in 1892, home of R. A. Horlock and his family for over seventy years... Now the home to resident artists, like Ashton.
Here Ashton explains how she painted the house on a hot day
with oil pastels. A freezer was involved!
Here in Navasota, at the
Horlock Art Center, she found an environment to begin a foothold in
her life-choice. Free rent, for six months, bills paid, adequate
space to create large works... peace and quiet... removal from the
tyranny of the urgent. To a large degree she found what she was
looking for, because Ashton will make the best of any situation.
Ashton Hall painting "plein air" near huntsville. It's just a fancy French term for out-of-doors.
Ashton promotes herself as
a “plein air” artist, which suggests the interpretation of her
subjects firsthand... without photography, studying and translating
her subjects directly onto canvas from life. But she adds an infusion
of other “isms.” She fearlessly utilizes her experience with
stagecraft, abstract expressionism, fauvism, and modern color therapy
to dazzle her audience. She might be called a disciple of color. Her
art “is all about the color.” Ashton believes that color, and
especially color used effectively by an artist has powerful effects
on people. She believes people have no idea how important color is in
creating a positive environment... or a negative one. Thankfully, she
said “people gravitate to the colors they need.”
These are actually
scientifically proven facts about the psychology of color. This young
artist is starting out with that kind of savvy. Ashton harbors many
edgy paradigms, some of which might make the average person nervous.
She believes in heady concepts of “Divine right timing,” and the
“law of attraction”; things, people, events that are supposed to
meet or happen cannot avoid collision. We used to call that fate. She
is committed to follow the path of her fate to what she calls the
“highest excitement.” None of us should pursue careers, hobbies
or relationships which do not hold a significant degree of excitement
for us. If we do, it will not work... and our culture is full of
people in denial of this law... and miserable for it. She explains
that “Life is as exciting as the degree that you challenge
yourself.”
A delightful study in color therapy by Hall is the centerpiece in one of the Victorian parlors.
Ashton loves the art part
of art, and gets down and dirty. But she does not shrink from the
business end, understanding one supports the other. Her paintings are
instinctively designed by a mind that automatically balances
self-expression with the science of subliminal appeal. She is having
a wonderful time working her magic, exercising her freedom, and
making contact with numerous fans. Her regular sales reflect her
remarkable gift of positive energy, where her artistic journey always
attracts hitchhikers. Her works are affordable, soulful, and... dare
I say it, mentally healing.
Mental health is essential
to physical healing. Ashton takes stock in that. We all need art,
even though most people have no appreciation for it. Thus it is a
no-brainer to say, you need your vitamins and you need art. And hers
is an excellent place to start your collection.
Ashton takes a break from a small mural commission.
Ashton is optimistic about
art and her future in it, as she has observed the historic cycles in
the economy and the evolution of artistic tastes. She believes they
will improve. She is presently planning her next exhibit in the Trout
Art Museum in Appleton, Wisconsin. And she is contemplating starting
a mural painting service, where she can most logically achieve basic
financial survival. Ashton is willing to do whatever it takes. That,
for her, will be the key to success.
