Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Rodriguez.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I have always been into art, as far back as I can remember I was dabbling in some kind of art-related thing. In high school I would spend hours painting and working with pastels/charcoals, I took every art class they would let me and served in the NAHS. From there, I spent time creating art on and off – photography, painting, and crocheting. In 2020, I welcomed my second child and the pandemic hit, with extra time stuck at home, I began painting portraits. At first, they were for myself but that turned into selling them to friends and people they referred me to. Around then I decided it was time to ‘brand myself’ and Diamond Rock Hill Artistry was born.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Certainly not but it’s always been fun. I’ve never felt confident enough in my art to step out and dive in fully but that would be my ultimate dream. It’s always been scary to think about, especially now having kids, hopefully one day I’ll get to do it full-time. I’ve also been told that I’m not a real artist because I don’t have a degree, but I try and not let that get to me. There’s also been a lot of times where my creativity has taken a hit because I’m exhausted and too burnout formwork to spend extra energy on my art. In the end, I find my way back, but it takes effort.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
So I currently focus my effort and energy in two areas right now, digital art and painting. With kids I can easily pop on the couch and whip something up digitally that fulfills my need to be creative. When I really have time, I love to paint, especially portraits of babies! So far that has been my favorite thing to do and when I have a bit more stability with my kids, I will really focus my time and energy there. My portraits are a bit different than what you may think of as traditional painting, I paint in solid “blocks” of colors from light to dark. I have also done a rainbow portrait and I really loved that as well.
What’s next?
I currently work in Human Resources and that’s my bread and butter, but as I get older and my career stabilizes, I would love to spend more time exploring my creative options to grow something I can build toward retirement. I’m not in it to be a famous artist, I just want to love what I get to do each and every day. There’s nothing better than handing off a freshly finished portrait to someone who has been expecting it, it’s the best feeling. Currently, I’m only selling on Redbubble, but I would love a storefront for people to directly purchase from in the next few years. Once I have a solid following there, I’ll look into more options.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.redbubble.com/i/framed-print/Lakes-of-Georgia-by-DRHArtistry/121155347.AJ1A3?asc=u
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/drhartistry?igshid=Zjc2ZTc4Nzk=
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drhartistry?mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/drhartistry
- Youtube: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UC6BgnsOx10uGK9JbwCYFYlg
