Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Fairbourne.
Ashley, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I studied illustration at Utah Valley University & graduated with my BFA in 2016. Shortly after graduating, I decided to quit my part-time job and pursue freelance illustration as a full-time career. I mainly did family & pet portrait commissions for the first few years, but eventually got opportunities to work on other projects such as children’s book illustrations, fabric designs, local show posters, creating art for children’s learning software, editorial illustrations for local magazines and other small projects here & there.
Over the past few years, I have been exploring the world of sign painting & murals and have had some wonderful opportunities to practice the craft for local shops with their signage. The newest medium I have been exploring is tattooing. I’ve only been apprenticing for a few months now and absolutely love it, so I’m excited to see where this next step in my career will take me!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
If there’s one thing you can guarantee about pursuing a creative freelance career, it’s that it will have major ups and downs. You can’t guarantee when money will come in and that can get super stressful. It can also be hard not to get down on yourself when it feels like the river is running dry with clients.
The most difficult part for me has been the mental battle I seem to have almost daily with myself – since I’ve primarily worked from home, alone, it can be easy to feel isolated and fall into habits that might not be good for your mental health. Balancing everything is tough, but it gets easier the longer you do it. At the end of the day though, all of the struggles have been worth it!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m mostly known for doing children’s book illustrations with vibrant colors & a whimsical (sometimes slightly creepy) feel! If you’ve ever taken a look at my social media sites though, you’ll quickly realize I like to do an assortment of different styles and mediums.
I do lots of realistic acrylic pet portraits, cartoony illustrations in gouache, window painting, enamel sign painting/gilding, embroidery, and most recently, tattoos! I love creating, so I’m always looking to learn a new medium that allows me to express myself and communicate ideas & feelings to others more easily.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
My husband, Charles Bogus, is an incredible tattoo artist and has been a huge reason why I’ve been able to do freelance illustration full-time. Not only is he supportive, but he helps me stay level-headed when it feels like all I want to do is throw in the towel. His talent and desire to constantly grow and learn about art & technique are inspiring.
I’ve also had a lot of great professors that helped me stay focused when I was at Utah Valley University – Perry Stewart specifically was a great mentor & teacher to me. He helped me aim higher and was always there to push me when I started getting complacent. My family has been amazingly supportive as well. I’m definitely lucky to have had parents that encouraged my artistic side from such a young age!
Pricing:
- Custom commissions begin at $200
Contact Info:
- Email: www.ashleyfairbourne@gmail.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/ashleyfairbourneillustration
- Facebook: facebook.com/ashleyfairbourneillustration
- Twitter: twitter.com/ashdrawsweird
- Other: tiktok.com/@ashdrawsweird
Image Credits
Melissa Henrie Photography and Ashley Fairbourne Illustration
