B
BY HEATHER HAMILTON-POST
oise artist Ashley Dreyfus is a woman on the brink–a Yellowstone paint pot reflecting turquoise and fire, a geyser about to erupt. Driven to create, she views art as an escape from the world and
something of a resting place, should you need it. “It’s how I view the world. I just want to share a piece of how I’m feeling, and I’m trying to show positivity every single day,” she explains.
cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon beer, which is a new medium for the artist, who, in her 23 years, has worked on digital art, murals, fine art paintings, and recently, skin, as she trains to be a tattoo artist.
This isn’t hyperbole, either. Just over three and a half years ago,
Her work, which Dreyfus describes as shiny and bright, is meant to be
BRIGHT AND SHINY:
ASHLEY DREYFUS is ERUPTING Dreyfus challenged herself to draw something new each day for an entire year, which helped crystalize her personal artistic style. Since, she’s shared her drawings on Instagram every single day. Without social media, Dreyfus says she’d still be creating art, but she’s grateful for the exposure the digital world has afforded her.
Photo by Chris Mannix
AWARD-WINNING ARTIST Ashley Dreyfus thinks of her characters as alter egos of human beings that exist in the world, androgynous and joyful, which is how she strives to live her life. “I genuinely hope that the artwork just resonates with everyone–that they’re able to feel the way that I do when I create my art,” she says.
10
This of course includes her recent win–a cash prize, magazine feature, and artwork printed on 30 million
www.idahomemagazine.com
accessible to folks of all ages. She’s inspired by artist Keith Haring, who she says exhibited the same motivation and drive that she strives for. “I want to keep his dream alive with my art,” she says. Dreyfus also wants to make sure young women are heard, and says she doesn’t see a lot of female representation in Boise’s street art. “And that’s kind of why I feel so passionate about what I do. I want women to create art freely,” she emphasizes. She says she’s never really felt the pressure one might expect a young and successful artist to feel because of that freedom, which she says allows her art to continue to be a release. Like Yellowstone’s abundant landscape, Dreyfus offers a uniquely western perspective–and, while she grew up in Sun Valley, she considers Boise home, and doesn’t plan on
