YabYum Seven: Ashley Macias

All photos courtesy of Ashley Macias

Who are you and what do you do?

Ashley Macias, a fine artist currently residing in downtown Phoenix, Arizona. My work is overall Surreal-Psychedelic and sometimes includes a mixture of Abstract-Organic elements. I primarily create illustrative, organic imagery and colorful, fluid paintings that are more than meets the eye. My work falls along the visionary element with a deep focus on the human psyche. When I’m not at home making art, I am sometimes painting walls or selling my artwork as a living. Its my bread and jam (butter excluded).

How did you get your start?

Developing my art has been a lifelong process. As a kid I always played with creativity whether it was drawing or painting or fantasizing the unknown and inner self. One of my earliest memories of wanting to be a artist was being seven years old and wanting to draw as good as my brother. I was inspired.

I never really opened my eyes to the art world and possibilities until I was twenty-one. My parents had other plans for me but I was an unhappy and confused individual. I knew making art was my life’s intention. I made some drastic lifestyle changes, including leaving my education to pursue art seriously. I moved to the downtown area a year later and committed myself to becoming a better artist.

I just kept drawing for hours every day every chance I got. I am self taught
so I had to learn a lot about myself and my focus. I wanted to give something of myself and share something personal and beautiful with others. I quickly reached out among the art community and met some great people along the way.

The downtown folks who make the art community so great really encouraged me and influenced me. I went around and emailed all the local eateries, coffee shops, and galleries and asked to hang my work wherever I could. It worked out. I knew being vulnerable and putting my art out for everyone to see would help me develop as a young artist.

From then on, I have been pushing myself in the same way toward seeing my career elevate while teaching me valuable lessons. It’s been a badass journey. I have had a lot of valuable experiences and continue to apply them to my work ethic and I just have a lot of fun doing it. Fun & Consistency is key.

What inspires you?

The Unknown Universe that lives within all of us; the colorful vibrations and connections we all share. I obsess over the human consciousness: being aware of nature and ourselves. It’s a lot of deep introspection and relatable feelings of the heart and mind.

A lot of my work is very organic and fluid in form, unfolding into plants and, well, LIFE. I try to apply nature and out of this world elements to people and animals. I apply life and death and all the human emotions we all share as best as I can to formulate a dramatic almost dance-like interpretation of our deeper connection.

Life is a dance but all those things are a part of matter, elements and atoms. There’s so much more to the work than meets the eye and really it all begins with an eye in my work. So the eye becomes my process that unfolds into introspection and strange things. One sees the depicted outer shells (human body, plants, animals, make-believe) but somehow it expresses the inner beauty and our true connection with the things we take for granted.

What do you like about AZ?

I enjoy Arizona because of the possibilities. Although I have major grievances with our political agenda, I know it doesn’t represent the downtown arts community I have grown to love so much.

Downtown, especially, is more vibrant then ever. It wasn’t too long ago Roosevelt Row was a not so safe place to live. Now its blooming! Downtown has changed so much and the talent here is only getting better.

I enjoy the downtown community. So much local support and strong connections. With that said, I think Arizona has a lot of room for even greater possibilities and is a fresh, up-and-coming playground.

Where can we see you(r) work?

I have social media accounts such as Instagram, Facebook, Tumblr and a soon-to-go-up website where people can buy the work directly. In the meantime, I am currently hanging work in Knew Conscious Gallery – Ascension in Denver, CO. I am putting together a show for Estrella Mountain Community College to discuss my process as a way to inspire. I also have a show coming up in October with Booze Brothers in San Diego. Yay for booze!

What would you like to accomplish before you die?

I’ll never die.

What is your mantra?

Fuck it, why not?

Higher Plane

Eternal Love and Chaos

Higher Plane 2