A picture is worth a thousand words!

After sharing many art stories, personal memories, and my creative process through this blog over the past few years, I’ve made the move to a more visual platform. Please join me on Instagram @ashley_wolff_art to see my newest works-in-progress, creative explorations, books and more. The story continues…

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Remembering my Amazing Mother

Grab your coat and get your hat,

Leave your worries on the doorstep. 

Life can be so sweet

On the sunny side of the street.

Elizabeth Deanne Ibold, born November 10, 1928, at about 3 years old.

My mom, Elizabeth Deanne Ibold Wolff van de Velde, died on May 16, 2018 and I couldn’t manage to write a thing for 6 months. Then I wrote the 1st draft of this post.

Then I stopped again until today. Tomorrow is Mother’s Day, 2020 and in 8 days it will be the 2nd anniversary of her death.

Why did it take me so long to be able to write this?

Is this how grief works?

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Despite the fact that her family was not Catholic, Elizabeth Deanne Ibold (now known to her friends as “E-Dee”) went to school at The Sacred Heart Academy in Chicago for 13 years, k-12.

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E-Dee followed her older sister to Depauw University and joined the same sorority, Alpha Chi Omega. Luckily she had naturally wavy hair so that she could easily achieve the permed sorority sister look! She met my father Klaus on a blind date organized by Alpha Chi and his International House at Wabash University.

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In 1950 she married Klaus Heinrich Wolff, a man 13 years her senior, a veteran of the German WWII army. Needless to say her parents weren’t thrilled.

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Their honeymoon in March was spent at Starved Rock State Park in Illinois.

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In 1953 Deanne and Klaus spent a year in Europe, living with his mother and step-father. Germany was still very war-shocked and it didn’t sound like much fun.

My mom loved being a mom, but she was also smart, ambitious and restless in her 1950s role as ‘Mid-Century mommy’.

She opted to stop at 2 children in an era of large families.

She wanted to DO things but her degree in art history wasn’t proving useful. She volunteered far and wide through the 60s and eventually, in the 70s, she settled her passion on the Middlebury Volunteer Ambulance Association. She became an EMT, a crew chief and ultimately attended Dartmouth to become one of the 1st Physician’s Assistants in 1974. It was around this time that she dropped one of the Ns in Deanne and became Deane to my sister and me and almost all her friends.

Her career in medicine focused on women’s health and included dozens of baby deliveries, as well as family medicine, years working for Planned Parenthood and The Shorewell Health Center. She was even Physician’s Assistant to Ben and Jerry at the Charlotte Family Health Center in the mid-80s!

She retired at 60 and changed her specialty to being an extraordinary Granny and an artist in multiple mediums.

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She had a kiln and made many tile paintings like these.

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  with me 1956

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  with Peri 1958

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  with me 1959

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  with Peri and me Christmas 1960

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  with Klaus, Peri and me 1961

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  With Peri, me, and Klaus 1962

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  with Peri and me 1967

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  with me, Klaus and Peri’s doll Paddywhack in 1968

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  with Peri and me 1970

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  with Pumpkin 1977

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  with me Pumpkin, and Flora 1980

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  with me 1984

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  with Brennan 1987

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  with Brennan 1988

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  with Brennan 1989

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  with Rowan 1990

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  with Rowan 1991

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  with Brennan and Rowan 1995

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  with Peri and Brennan 1996

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  with Brennan 1996

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  With Peri 1998

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  with me, Lucy, Brennan, Sabin and Rowan 2008

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  with Brennan 2013

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  with Boo 2013

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  with Marna, Peri, Boo and me 2012

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  with Rowan and me 2012

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  with me 2014

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  with Rowan 2017

She was a fun-loving and affectionate Mommy and Granny to my sister and me and my two sons and she had many beloved dogs over the years.

Deane’s excellent Scottish Shortbread

1 C softened butter

3/4 C confectioners sugar

1.5 C flour

.25 C cornstarch

1/8 t salt

mix, press into a sheet pan, 1” thick

Bake at 325 for 45 mins.

Happy Mother’s Day, Mom, and

Happy trails to you, until we meet again.
           ~Dale Evans Rogers

We are United States Strong

In 2011 Hurricane Irene severely damaged many parts of Vermont.
In typical Vermont fashion, the citizens set to work repairing their state.
Rutland residents Eric Mallette and Lyz Tomsuden created this now iconic image — a black silhouette of the state over green with the words “I am Vermont Strong,” emblazoned in white — with the, “simple intention of producing good energies out of the disaster.”

On March 13, 2020, when Vermont’s governor Phil Scott ordered us to stay Home and Save Lives, I remembered the Vermont Strong slogan and adapted it to a Rufus Card. I have been using my border collies as characters since at least 1980, so this wasn’t a surprise.

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A small selection of the 100s of Border Collie images I have painted over the years.

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After Vermont, I began to paint other states–states where I have friends and relatives, states that are experiencing terrible outbreaks, states that need cheerful encouragement to follow quarantine rules.

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I felt it was important to to include areas of the US that aren’t technically states.

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Rufus can be quite bossy and he and his friends repeat the mantras of these strange times:: Stay Home, Wash your paws, Wear a mask, Vote by Mail!

Eventually my bulletin board was full, from west to east, from north to south, every state, district, at least one nation and territory.

Finally, Rufus embraces the entire country. This one is called
“No borders, just a Border Collie.”

Who wouldn’t want to listen to this guy?

All the images are available as giclee prints on my etsy site.

A Mural to Celebrate Books and East Tennessee

Liz Garcia, a friend from Hollins University days and now a doctoral student in the Center for Children’s and YA Literature at the University of Tennessee had the brilliant idea of adding an original, reading related mural to the new quarters of CCYAL. She invited me to submit a proposal and we went from there.

I love working in a trompe l’oeil style, so I conceived a big, fat, open book filled with the sights and symbols of the Great Smokey Mountains, Knoxville and the University of Tennessee Knoxville.

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On my 1st day in Tennessee Liz took me on a road trip to the Smokey Mountains and I got to take my own photos of the famous Carter Shields Cabin in Cades Cove. The cabin and the split rail fence appear in the finished mural.

Of course it was essential to add as many of Tennessee’s state symbols as possible. This graphic, by Joanna Dee Studio was a huge help. I think the only one I haven’t included is the tomato–but Dolly Parton’s red boots will have to do!

Speaking of Dolly–originator of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, the text in the mural is a line from Rocky Top, written by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, and performed by the incomparable Dolly Parton, who hails from from nearby Pigeon Forge, TN.

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Painting on cinder blocks results in a very rough look, plus, the CCYAL wasn’t certain they’d always be in this spot so we planned a “portable” mural painted on a smooth sheet of 4’x8′ mdf board mounted to the wall. The director of CCYAL, Susan Groenke, helpfully painted it a medium brown so I didn’t need to cover a pure white surface.

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One of the 1st challenges I faced was how to create deep space on a 2-D surface. Luckily, the Great Smokey Mountains are known for their layers and layers of receding blue summits.

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In this series I made a major change to the mural by repainting the mountains and simplifying by adding a river of fog. I think it increases the illusion of space. The orange and white checkerboard on the pages behind is a common motif on the campus of the University of Tennessee. To the left is young Smokey, a Bluetick Coonhound who the mascot for the Tennessee Volunteers. See how many other state symbols you can find.

To finish the mural I darkened the background dramatically and added shadows to enhance the trompe l’oeil effect. The day I left Tennessee the University sent all the students home because of Covid-19. I hope everyone stays safe and healthy and comes back to UTK.

We are Tennessee Strong!

For the love of Goats

Two new kids moved in down the road. They are black and white and have cunning little hooves. Their names are Thor and Clementine.

Goat kids have a certain vibe that enchants me. They are more playful than your average farm animal–leaping, frisking and gamboling, climbing on trees, seesaws and even children! They appear all over the place and my eye and paintbrush are always drawn to them.

A goat on Anegada Island in the British Virgin Islands.

Vermont goat in the snow

A San Francisco goat-tasked with keeping weeds down around the Bernal Heights reservoir.

Thor and Rufus

Old MacDonald and her goat BFF.

A white kid

Clementine

Some Virginia goats

Beachcombing with a purpose

I love the beach.

Maybe because I grew up in a Vermont-a landlocked state.

Sure, we had Lake Champlain, where I spent my childhood summers. It has a shore but not exactly a beach.

The unpredictability of what the restless waves wash up on shore gives an ocean beach LIFE!

Nowadays there is a LOT of plastic, which is part what got me started making these beach portraits.

I have found so much trash on the numerous beaches I’ve combed-from California to the Virgin Islands, and Italy to Maine. Along with the trash I always find intriguing shells, feathers, bones, and exoskeletons.

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A small gallery of the cool things you can find on a beach: bits of metal, plastic and glass, shells, seaweed, feathers, and bones.

Using these elements I began making portraits of invented characters. I didn’t alway name them, but this one spoke up and said her name was Richard Thompson’s mythical Cooksferry Queen.

The bright jewel of the alley…my Cooksferry Queen.

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These portraits are all from Florida beaches

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These are from beaches in California.

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All these were made on New England beaches.

So, next time you find yourself on a beach-any beach, find a bag or bucket, pick up any trash and other interesting flotsam you find and make your own beach portrait. Snap a photo, give him/her/they a name, and finally, remove all the trash and leave the remnants of the face to nature.

Here, Kitty Kitty!

This fall I discovered Paper Clay–and boy, have I been having fun with it. I found I could make multiples of objects by making an original and then a mold. I love dogs, but their heads are all different shapes and sizes. Cats are relatively uniform in shape, and by applying wildly different paint jobs, I could create a whole herd of them.

https://www.etsy.com/your/shops/AshleyWolffArt/tools/listings/sort:title,order:ascending,page:3,stats:true/724351302

Paper clay Cat portraits: molded, dried, painted, varnished, and be-ribboned!

I modeled a cat face, then made a mold from it. It got a little thin at the tip of the nose so I have to fix the nose on each model.

I use cornstarch to dust the mold so the damp paper clay doesn’t stick.

Dusting the mold with cornstarch.

I roll out the paper clay to about 1/4″ and lay it over the mold.

The clay is pressed into the mold.

I flip the mold over and carefully lift it up off the clay.

The cat face before trimming.

I smooth the edges and surfaces with a stiff, damp paintbrush. Each face is slightly different.

Once the excess clay is trimmed away I shape and add details to the face with the beveled end of a paintbrush.

A tray of cat heads ready to dry. While the clay is still damp I slide a small hanger eye into the top of the head. Now they need about 36 hours to fully dry.

Once the cat heads are dry I paint them with Holbein Acryla gouache.

Each one is an individual portrait. These three are modeled after a Mai Thai, a classic seal point siamese, Ms Bogart, a Russian Blue and Elizabeth, a tabby with a startling orange stripe up her face.

Here are Dolly and Fern, two of my favorites.

My cat loving friend Nancy displays all nine of her loved ones, past and present like this.

Find your next best friend, or see if you can find a dearly departed feline in my Etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/your/shops/AshleyWolffArt/tools/listings/sort:title,order:ascending,stats:true/738567979 .

I am also happy to accept custom orders anytime.

Painting Rocket

Anyone who knows me, knows I love Border Collies. I admire the intelligence that shines through in their gaze and their graphic markings that make them extra fun to draw and paint.

Recently I was lucky to be commissioned by his doting mama to paint a portrait of Rocket, a handsome western fellow. Lori sent a variety of photos and I chose several to work from. I liked his face in one and the aspen forest background from another.

I worked on a Dick Blick wooden panel–the 6″ x 12″ format seemed especially good for this subject and I knew my Holbein Acryla Gouache paints would look great. I can paint all four edges of this panel to become part of the work of art and they are light and easy to hang, even in a tight space.

As usual, I start with loose shapes and brushwork and work tighter as I home in on the particular details of this animal. I’ve found that the eyes, ears, and mouth convey a dog’s personality most clearly.

Even at this stage I found I needed to dash in some new areas of warmth to set up the complementary contrasts.

Above and below see how the deep edges of the panel become part of the artwork. I keep them more abstract than the main image but large landscape elements carry over.

The finished portrait of Rocket in the Aspen Grove with a lucky ladybug as the final touch.

If you’ve enjoyed this and want to order a portrait of your favorite companion, please get in touch: ashley@ashleywolff.com

Welcome Spring!

After a long Vermont winter we all get a little blue.

We all need to get outside! We need to leave our coats and hats and boots behind. We need to wear sneakers, ride bikes, see some green, roll in the grass, play ball, ride a pony and dig in the garden. Spring fever is a real thing!

I recently visited the kindergartners at Orwell Village School and talked about writing and art, filling your page and adding detail. They must have soaked it all in–like spring sunshine. Today I received this video, made with the help of their wonderful teacher Josh Martin:

ttps://spark.adobe.com/video/64dt3EAOZWEpqhttps://spark.adobe.com/video/64dt3EAOZWEpq

If this doesn’t get your spring juices flowing, nothing will!

ENJOY!

Today’s the day the Teddy Bears have their picnic

Assignment: Paint a picnic basket for the Henry Sheldon Museum’s 26th Annual  Pops Concert and Fireworks Display summer fundraiser.

Materials: basket, gouache paints, love.

Process: Get an idea, do some research, make a sketch.

You know me and bears, we seem to be inseparable lately.  So it wasn’t much of a leap to choose the lyrics to Teddy Bear’s Picnic as my inspiration. This version by Anne Murray is lovely, but beware–it is a major earworm!

I did a rough little pencil sketch, added some color and was set to do the finish.

I painted a sunny background, leaving the edges of the lid showing.

Once the background was dry I added the bears, flowers and more flowers.

Some bees create the lines for the text: Today’s the Day the Teddy Bears Have their Picnic!

And what is a picnic basket without a yummy surprise inside?

This basket is beautifully lined with padded linen and has the nifty chain to keep the lid at a comfortable angle.

Making the handles jolly with multicolored stripes was the final touch.

Summer seems WAY far away in this neck of the woods, but I know it’ll come someday and If you go down to the woods today, you’d better not go alone!
It’s lovely down in the woods today, but safer to stay at home!
For ev’ry bear that ever there was will gather there for certain, because
Today’s the day the Teddy Bears have their picnic!