Today we’d like to introduce you to Ash Bingham.
Hi Ash, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for y bou to start by introducing yourself.
My early life includes several pictures of me dancing around, and occasionally singing at the top of my lungs on my brother’s shoulders. For as long as I remember, my life was centered around art and dancing. My mom is an artist and allowed me to play with her supplies, instructing me in various techniques. I was homeschooled through all of grade school, my days filled with drawing and dancing more than anything else. Though several members of large family (I’m the second youngest of NINE siblings!) showed interest in artistic pursuits, I am the only one who ultimately made a full-time career out of visual art.
In high school, I got involved with community theatre, which kickstarted my desire to pursue a career in performance. I went to a community college for my freshman year, where there was only one theatre class… but I threw everything I had into it, and helped spearhead the school’s first-ever production in the spring. All of the social media, graphic design, painting fell on me, which won me an “award” I am convinced was made up just to acknowledge the budding theatre department. But after this experience, I felt confident enough in my abilities to audition at other universities and ended up attending the South Carolina School of Arts at Anderson University in 2015. During my time in college, I made sure to take as many art classes as I could in addition to the courses I needed for my BA in Theatre with a Dance concentration. At the end of my sophomore year, I landed my first job painting a stage set and taught at the high school summer repertoire program at Anderson. This quickly snowballed into opportunities to assist at other notable venues, like the Warehouse Theatre in Greenville, SC. My college days were filled with dancing, drawing, photography, and performing. The community of theatres in my area were very encouraging, often pushing me to try new positions, like a choreographer, assistant director, stage manager, and scenic charge. After graduating in 2018 I moved back home to Spartanburg, SC with my sister and her family to plan the next steps, biding my time by working with most of the theatres in the Upstate.
I could have continued this track but was itching for more challenging and far-reaching opportunities. I started considering larger cities, ones that specialized not only theatre but film as well. For these reasons, Atlanta was at the top of my list, and in December 2019 I made the trek further south to dive deeper into a full-time creative career. The house I first stayed in was full of theater boys, which is how I landed my first job as paint charge (for “Once” at Horizon Theatre) in January 2020. Upon completion, I was offered the full season at Horizon, feeling hopeful for a lasting and rewarding string of productions, just as the world began to shut down due to Covid-19. I then went into “survival mode,” leaning into my job at Starbucks and picking up random paint jobs until the world of live performance began to reopen in 2021.
I finally took the leap into a full-time freelancer at the beginning of 2022. It has certainly been a wild ride but I have never felt so fulfilled and fortunate, having the opportunity to do what I love. As is the nature of my job, I don’t often know what I am walking into until I arrive, and my schedule wildly fluctuates on a weekly basis, often resulting in me balancing multiple projects. I spend more time covered in paint than not these days, it’s a cute look – you should try it! I love to be fully immersed in scenic painting, and when I have time at home, I bury myself in digital art. The downtime during Covid was a great time for me to develop more skills and learn to craft digital art in ways I had not previously. I find a lot of joy in creating my little characters and exploring different styles of portraits. Downtime sometimes consists of side projects, like photographing my roommates band in performance, designing logos for my friend’s start-ups, or helping produce a play with friends. It’s just as important to create your own opportunities for growth and experience as it is to seize them when they pass by.
I owe so much to the lovely community of painters and creatives I have known throughout the years, both in SC and ATL. Scenic painting combines some of my favorite elements of painting and performance, consistently pushing me technically with imaginative scenes and producing as high a quality product as possible within a limited timeframe. I count myself lucky to have the opportunity to work full-time as an artist after the struggles of COVID and have the chance to work on such a wide variety of projects in this culturally rich city. I love playing a part in creating theatrical environments where magical moments unfold.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
The road in art is never easy, having to overcome the consistent battle of living up to your own internal expectations, not to mention the (sometimes unrealistic) expectations of others. I knew that I always wanted to be an artist, but it can be difficult narrowing down what that realistically looks like, and how to logistically live from gig to gig. It became clear in my senior year of college that my chronic pain posed a significant barrier to any career in dance, which is when I decided to direct my attention onto visual art. I balanced a day job and worked on any projects that were available in my area, cultivating my skills and learning to tackle large projects with a team. I moved to ATL at the very end of 2019, just in time to work on one show before the world shut down due to COVID. My momentum was temporarily slowed, but the extra time allowed me to align my priorities and be more prepared to tackle a lifestyle of working for one’s self.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My work as a scenic charge includes working alongside the technical crew to bring a design to life. This includes selecting the colors, making samples of different faux finishes, and overseeing delegated tasks when a project demands multiple painters. Each show often presents new challenges, and as charge it is my responsibility to think on my feet and be a team player. The side of myself that loves fine art gets exceptionally excited when given the opportunity to sink my teeth into more detail-oriented design elements. My all-time favorite task is aging, where I get to make things look appropriately old, used, and often dirty. The dichotomy in highly detailed elements and abstract textures where I can sling, sponge, and splatter paint is the kind of method in which I thrive.
Between shows, I am often called in for projects that fall between theatre and film. Such as helping with touch-ups for the Stranger Things Experience at Pullman Yards or assisting with a mural at the Georgia Aquarium. Here I am able to apply my skills to a wider variety of commercial and artistic pursuits.
How do you think about luck?
I’m fortunate to have a family that encouraged me to lean into my creative side from such a young age; though, admittedly, art and theatre weren’t initially considered viable career options. They have been there for me every step of the way, offering support when needed as I forge my own path. I am also very lucky to have so many talented people in my family who I can call up to ask questions about anything from photoshop to tool recommendations.
I believe luck can provide opportunities to prove yourself, but success is born from the hard work you put into these opportunities. I was fortunate to land a painting job fairly soon after moving to ATL. My luck did run out, along with everyone else, when COVID shut down all viable opportunities in live performance. This strike of bad luck hit hard, coupled with how new I was to the area. Just mere weeks before the worldwide shutdown, I got lucky moving into a cute little apartment with a friend from my hometown, a freelance artist (musician) in his own right. This ended up being a lifesaver during the shutdown. I owe the majority of my sanity to our 3 cats and the park behind our place. Something about a cozy home with 3 artists and 3 cats just nourishes the soul and helps keep me inspired.
Contact Info:
- Website: ashleybingham.me
- Instagram: @ash_bingham
Image Credits
Casey Gardner Ford Photography. Escobar Photography, LLC
