Caroline Ashwood

I work as a full time artist from a countryside studio in Yorkshire where I get physical with the paint and canvas. My work is visceral and spontaneous. When I paint, I rely entirely on my instincts. Using my hands to work the paint washes around the surface, I continually move the artwork back and forth to keep the colours flowing. Eventually I reach a point where I allow the paint to take the control so that I can revel in the prospect of the paint surprising me yet again.

Through my work, I am constantly exploring the relationship between colour, light and form. Even though it was drilled into me in my earliest formal art studies that drawing and draughtsmanship are of critical importance to serious artistic endeavour, it was only when I ventured away from literal
points of reference that I began to discover the visceral impact to be enjoyed in the luminance, shapes and hues of glorious nature.

My work is featured in many private collections worldwide and I have exhibited in galleries and shows throughout the UK. However, I am constantly surprised and delighted that so many individuals appreciate my paintings

I was born in 1970 in Yorkshire where I spent many happy childhood hours painting and sketching in the bluebell woods near my home. Having shown a talent for drawing and creativity, I received formal art training as a graphic designer and a successful career in advertising with agencies like M&C Saatchi in London.

I continued to make a career in the ad industry and worked with some of the best creative directors in the business. They taught me the importance of maintaining the integrity of ideas and concepts. The challenge of filling a blank sheet of paper with something that would fulfil someone elses desires was intoxicating. But, I noticed something about me was happening. The more I immersed myself in the creative process, the more I wanted to express my thoughts not just those of an advertising client. I was feeling a hunger. An urge to pick up a paint brush and make a mark on a canvas and create some original art. To go deeper into my thoughts and feelings, without a brief, without an expected outcome.

By this time, I had been painting at every opportunity and people began to buy my work. Then one day, I declared to my family that I wanted to paint for a living.

Encouraged by a popular following and patronage for my...