Elaine
Ashburn
1. Welcome Elaine to The Influx Gallery family. Tell us a little bit about yourself and where you are from?
I was born and raised in New York City and went to public school and college there but moved to the northern suburbs with my husband about 25 years ago.
2. Were your family supportive of you deciding to become an artist?
Let’s say they didn’t 100% understand what I was doing, but they were supportive. My husband and brother have always been the most supportive.
3. Was there anything specific that you can remember that made you want to become an artist?
When I was a kid, we’d go to museums all the time so I was exposed to art from a very young age and just loved it. Especially modern art.
4. Did your schooling or work affect your creative development in any way?
I went to art school where I learned all the basics and working first as an art director (and later as a creative director) in advertising allowed me to enter the digital world and hone my Photoshop skills.
5. When did you first discover photographic collage and digital art?
I’ve always loved Kurt Schwitters’ work so I was very familiar with collage and also loved how Man Ray pieced together images in space but I didn’t discover photographic collage until I was in college and visiting galleries in SoHo.
6. Are you very hands on with the art of making designing these digital and physical collages?
I create them all myself. I shoot all my own photography and assemble my pieces in Photoshop. It usually takes about 20-25 images to create 1 piece.
7. Do you think your career as an advertising art director has helped with your ability to create such arresting artworks?
Yes. It’s allowed me to explore visual details and concepts in order to tell a story.
8.Could you give us a little teaser as to the process that helps you create such fabulous artworks?
Attention to detail. A fascination with found objects, antiques, junk etc. My professional digital skills and knowledge of photography help fuse my concepts into artistic expression.
10. Could you give us a little teaser as to the process that helps you create such fabulous artworks?
Attention to detail. A fascination with found objects, antiques, junk etc. My professional digital skills and knowledge of photography help fuse my concepts into artistic expression.
11. Where do you get your inspiration and influences from?
This is going to sound a little cliché but they just come to me. If I see a gargoyle on an old building, I’ll be drawn to it and take a number of pictures of it. Sometimes this one image inspires me to create a work around it.
12. Do you have any tips for any inspiring digital artist/photographer who is using software, or picking up a camera for the first time?
Don’t let technology dictate your ideas. Have your ideas first and use technology as a method to express them.
13. Your use of colour and psychedelics as part of digital collage using objects is undeniably awesome and unique. What are your future directions and plans?
Thank you!!! I’ve recently started playing with AI programs like MidJourney and Dall-e2. I am fascinated by this technology entering into the art field and plan to incorporate it into future pieces.
14. Thanks a lot for your valuable time and interest. You can include any other details you want to talk about here?
I love being part of the community called ‘Digital Artists’. I think we have only scratched the surface.