413 WATERS
Green Water Pond
42.2839° N, 73.1482° W
42.2839° N, 73.1482° W
Green Water Pond
detail |
Stockbridge Bowl
detail |
Stockbridge Bowl
42.3359° N, 73.3193° W
42.3359° N, 73.3193° W
Long Pond
41.8007° N, 70.9458° W
41.8007° N, 70.9458° W
Laurel Lake
42.3260° N, 73.2692° W
42.3260° N, 73.2692° W
Laurel Lake
detail |
Steadman Pond
detail |
Steadman Pond
42.2111° N, 73.2002° W
42.2111° N, 73.2002° W
Laurel Lake + Steadman Pond Collaboration
ARTIST STATEMENT + BIO
When I was growing up in the Berkshires a lot of my time was spent outdoors. My dad taught me how to fish and that's where I loved to spend all my time. Not just fishing but being outside in general. My home in an environment of art. My dad does a lot of work himself and I saw all of what he is capable of over the years.
My inspiration to start making my own artwork started a long time ago. I love that I can be free with my work. There's no exact product that needs to be made. The thoughts are within you. Making my artwork calms me because it is something I enjoy doing. The inspiration for my series titled 413 Waters came from the fact I love and enjoy fishing. I wanted to somehow incorporate that into my artwork to show a little bit about myself and educate others on fish they may not know live around our area. The artwork I created is a variety of different sized canvas with liquid paint pours of acrylic paint. The canvas has a fluid look to them almost like if you were to drop something in the water and take a picture of those ripples. My canvases are meant to portray the look of freshwater ponds and lakes around Berkshire county. They give off a very swampy murky feel with how the colors blended. On top of my canvas are different types of native fish you are likely to catch in our area; such as chain pickerel, largemouth and smallmouth bass, perch, brown trout, rainbow trout, and native trout. I want to emphasize how important these memories, life skills, experiences and habitats are to me… by moving the imagery past what it's “supposed to be" while simultaneously addressing the fact that some of these fish are endangered and their ecosystems threatened. As most of you may know Berkshire county is fighting hard right now with GE about the PBCs. They want to remove the PCBs from various bodies of water and the Housatonic River. These destructive actions would kill most creatures that call the Housie home. There needs to be a more harm reducing and compassionate solution to the toxicity… my artwork displays the significances of fish and how they have meaning just like us. |
Ashlee Trumps is a graduating senior who enjoys making liquid paint pours, sculpting with clay and fishing. This past February she graduated from the CNA nursing assistant program at Berkshire Community College where she also plans to continue her education there this fall enrolled in their nursing program.
Materials used in series: acrylic paint, watercolor paper, canvas, foam board, spray paint, microns. |
Long Pond
detail
detail