MEET THE ARTIST: ASHLEY SAUDER MILLER

It’s our pleasure to introduce Ashley Sauder Miller. Ashley is a painter from Harrisonburg, VA, who combines traditional painting and drawing media with found and discarded materials, including vintage textiles, abandoned quilts, and fabric.

Drawers and boxes in Ashley’s studio overflow with scraps collected for the past twenty years—treasured family photos, heirloom embroidery, pieces of chair upholstery, vintage drawer liners, richly colored and textured textiles, stacks of children’s drawings. She layers these items with paint, marker and oil pastel to create contemporary narratives from past stories.

Mark and I met Ashley and few years ago at an art festival in Arlington. We loved her work so much we just had to buy a piece, which now proudly hangs in our Dining Room (we also purchased a second which hangs in our studio).

We wanted to learn more about how Ashley got started and what she finds inspiring. Here’s what she shared…

How did you start creating your art?

I have an undergraduate degree in art and an MFA in painting and drawing from James Madison University. I always knew I wanted to be an artist, from a very young age, it really was just part of who I was. I feel very lucky that my parents recognized this as a gift and they definitely encouraged and cultivated this in me. 

I come from a long line of makers, people who made things. My father was very artistic, made instruments and was a builder. My mom also had a very critical eye, in a positive way, and worked as a designer in many different capacities. My uncle is a watercolor artist, my grandfather was a builder, another grandfather a chef and photographer. My grandmother was a seamstress. So, I really think that those influences, immersed in a family of folks who saw a material, a thing and could envision it transformed into something else was very much something that was apart if my way of thinking, way of seeing the world.

Do you have any particular artists who influence your work?

My all-time favorite artist is Louise Bourgeois, especially some of her drawings and textile work. Currently one of my favorite working artists would definitely be Coulter Fussell, there are so many exciting things happening in her work that resonate with me, look her up if you're not familiar with her work it's exceptional.

What do you enjoy doing when you are not painting?

I enjoy spending time with my husband Mark, we have four kids ages 10-16, who keep us really busy, and two Goldendoodles. We enjoy the beach, being outdoors, watching the kids play sports. I travel to weekend art festivals, and I really do enjoy it. I love connecting face-to-face with patrons, people watching, sharing my work on the city streets all over the US, it really is a dream come true.

To see more of Ashley’s work, visit her website and be sure to follow her on Instagram @ashleysaudermiller.

BONUS: If you live in or near Arlington, Ashley will be exhibiting this weekend (April 29 – 30, 2023) at the 9th Annual Arlington Festival of the Arts. Stop by and see her stunning work in person!