Ashley Collins Echoes

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Ashley Collins echoes

Ashley Collins echoes

echoes:Â a repetition of sound produced by the reflection of sound waves from a wall, mountain, or other obstructing surface

We think of echoes in an acoustic sense, the reflection of sound when we stand on a precipice. But Collins asks us to expand this and embrace it. We are surrounded by beautiful echoes. The echoes within us from those who have gone before, a trail blazed by a father or mother, or a kindness from a stranger that energizes us towards kindness to a stranger ourselves. A look into someones eyes that we perhaps associate with the term, "old soul," is saying that we can see the echoes of ancestors, the experience of others, echo within them.

For this show, Collins asks the viewer to embrace the echoes that each work brings into their mind, the emotions, the memories, the sense of another time that somehow 2311 Brickyard Ave. clock. It is physical, spiritual, and in a transcends the digital Grand Island, NE 68801 sense, beyond our understanding. Yet it is within our ability to +1361-301-3793 feel and within our grasp emotionally. calvaryfellowship.com hello@calvaryfellowship.com

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2311 Brickyard Ave. Grand Island, NE 68801 +1361-301-3793 calvaryfellowship.com hello@calvaryfellowship.com x 120" triptych, mixed

Calvary Fellowship media, oil and acrylic on aged paper,

Compilation of a Thousand Echoes, 96" historic documents, bookcovers, found objects, hand fired resinSharing finish the Gospel message across all nations

Ashley Collins echoes

Compilation of a Thousand Echoes

Are we the sum of our parts? Or are we a symphony created by the echoes of beautiful souls that have gone before us?

Collins' depth filled signature show work is a journey of history, our history of generations back. It is also a reminder to us that we are creating echoes to guide future generations.

What voices of ours will linger? Ones of compassion, love, power? There is no wrong answer, only an embrace of that very power that our actions hold.

The figurative horse demonstrates wisdom, its eye holds unending compassion. The muscles of the neck show strength, whereas drips of oil create an other worldly effect.

A beautiful crowned lithograph page from the 1800's is a shining reminder of benevolence. There are multiple stories within this work that can continually be found by the viewer.

During the process of creating this massive painting, Collins turned each of the triptych panels upside down. This serves as a reminder that our physical boundaries are self-created 2311 Brickyard Ave. Grand NE 68801 and can beIsland, broken through to sing with our fullest voices that carry our+1361-301-3793 beautiful and amazing songs and poems of life writ large. calvaryfellowship.com

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Sharing the Gospel message across all nations

2311 Brickyard Ave. Grand Island, NE 68801 +1361-301-3793 calvaryfellowship.com hello@calvaryfellowship.com

Calvary Fellowship Sharing the Gospel message across all nations

2311 Brickyard Ave. Grand Island, NE 68801 +1361-301-3793 calvaryfellowship.com mixed media, oil and acrylic hello@calvaryfellowship.com

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Saint, 84” x 60” on aged Sharing the Gospel message paper, historical documents, objects, hand fired across all nations resin finish.

Ashley Collins echoes

Saint What is a Saint? Is it some ecclesiastical determination made by others? Or do we chose whom to look to for guidance, love, and strength in times of joy and struggle? For Collins, the term as defined is too narrow, for it depends on the determination of others. It is limited to souls of some historical relevance and secret determination, cloaked in secret votes and mysticism. Is it not a saint that gives of themselves when there is no requirement to do so? The kind gesture of a stranger? The understanding forgiveness of a partner? The patience of a teacher for whom the subject long ago became rote? The towering gift of the horse who lends us the wind?

Collins opens the door for us to finally see that we are indeed surrounded by saints. By acknowledging their “sainthood” within our lives, we are lifted inside and our surrounding worlds are made brighter, more beautiful, more tangible. The figurative horse in this work is rearing from the power of this realization, from the very audacity to see how amazing our 2311 Brickyard Ave. world Grand trulyIsland, is. Note how the figurative horse breaks through NE 68801 the lines, just as we break through our preconceptions, our +1361-301-3793 challenges, our fears. We are surrounded by those who give calvaryfellowship.com Sharing the Gospel message to us.hello@calvaryfellowship.com We are indeed surrounded by Saints.

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2311 Brickyard Ave. Grand Island, NE 68801

River, 84” x 60” mixed media, oil and

+1361-301-3793 calvaryfellowship.com acrylic on aged paper, historical hello@calvaryfellowship.com

fired resin finish.

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documents, found objects, hand Sharing the Gospel message across all nations

Ashley Collins echoes

River

River def: 1. a natural stream of water of fairly large size flowing in a definite course or channel or series of diverging and converging channels. 2. a similar stream of something other than water:a river of lava; a river of ice. 3. any abundant stream or copious flow; outpouring

For Collins, it is the word “outpouring,” which defines the path that we lead in life.

Throughout the world it is rivers that give life and create the fertile lands from which the most beautiful, life sustaining crops are grown. Yet it is the outpouring of our very souls, of our time, of our hearts, that can create something even more magical, the sustaining songs of our soul.

Whether we look at the outpouring of others, or at what we ourselves give, there are rivers running constantly. They intertwine our moments, change our directions, and carry us as like a leaf upon the water. And the greatest outpouring, the greatest river, is one of love.

2311 Brickyard Ave. Grand Island, NE 68801 +1361-301-3793 calvaryfellowship.com hello@calvaryfellowship.com

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Prodigal, 72” x 96” mixed media, oil and acrylic on aged paper, historical documents, matte varnish.

Ashley Collins echoes

Prodigal

The tale of the prodigal son or daughter is the essence of divine love and forgiveness. The goal is to rise above a moment and see the larger world, to see the possibilities and recognize that it is the mistakes by which we grow and learn. Our greatest mistakes can create the foundations of our greatest achievements. For Collins, the moral is simply that it is safe to make mistakes. Â Both our mistakes and of others are what we learn, grow, and find love the most from.

The figurative image can be seen as the embodiment of love and wisdom. It stands alone, painted amid a vast canvas, and from this point of view, is the child. The sheer number of painted layers creates a feeling of history and timelessness.

Like an old billboard that has rusted in the seasons, it gains beauty through time, the image becoming more powerful rather than less.  We are all both the prodigal son and the forgiving and loving 2311 Brickyard Ave. parent.Grand This dual Island, NE role 68801 of magnificence of love prevails. +1361-301-3793 calvaryfellowship.com hello@calvaryfellowship.com

2311 Brickyard Ave. Grand Island, NE 68801 +1361-301-3793 calvaryfellowship.com hello@calvaryfellowship.com mixed media, oil acrylic, metal,

Figaro, 60” x 84” paper, historical documents, objects, encaustic, fiber.

Ashley Collins echoes

Figaro There is a moment in each of our lives where our struggle, hard work, and ambition pays off. That first moment and feeling is when we realize that we have brought our dreams to fruition.

Many are familiar with Mozart’s extraordinary life. A child prodigy, his father hauled him from palace to palace performing for the elite of Europe. However, few realize that once he had reached adulthood he struggled for years, being paid as a lowly court musician, if at all. Mozart’s, “Marriage of Figaro," was completed and performed in 1784. The Imperial Italian opera company paid Mozart 450 florins for the work, three times his yearly salary working as a court musician in Salzburg. It was his first of many successful moments to come, but made all the sweeter by being the first.

Collins captures this moment in, Figaro. The red crown and chalk create a lightness and childlike joy, while layer upon layer of encaustic oil and acrylic represent the hours of 2311 Brickyard Ave. struggles that preceded it. Drawings in pencil can be found Grand Island, NE 68801 throughout the many layers and an aged license plate from +1361-301-3793 Europe,calvaryfellowship.com representing one of the first magical moments of Sharing the Gospel message hello@calvaryfellowship.com Figaro.

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2311 Brickyard Ave. Grand Island, NE 68801 +1361-301-3793 calvaryfellowship.com hello@calvaryfellowship.com

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Yellow Brick Roads, 48" x 72" mixed media, oil and acrylic on wood panel, historical documents, Sharing the Gospel message encaustic, matte varnish. across all nations

Ashley Collins echoes

Yellow Brick Roads

The Yellow Brick Road, a magical path that leads to our greatest dream. What if there is not a single road, but rather many magical paths, each which lead to a new experience or new opportunity?

Collins reminds us that when we are open to seeing the beauty in each adventure, each path becomes something mystical.

We are entering an era where change occurs more quickly.

Everyday comes with a reminder that change is the norm of our beautiful existence. With change comes differing paths and opportunities in each moment.

Different Yellow Brick Roads.

All ours for the taking.

2311 Brickyard Ave. Grand Island, NE 68801 +1361-301-3793 calvaryfellowship.com hello@calvaryfellowship.com

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2311 Brickyard Parade 48� xAve. 120� tryptich, oil and acrylic on aged paper, historical documents, matte varnish

Grand Island, NE 68801

+1361-301-3793 calvaryfellowship.com hello@calvaryfellowship.com

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Ashley Collins echoes

Parade

Think of how we see the world.

Think of how a child sees the world.

Through a child’s eyes, a parade is a magical event, full of surprises, magic, colors, chaos, wonder, and where every moment holds something new. Through an adult’s eyes, a parade is often traffic, noise, roadblocks, and disruption. Even the word chaos is somehow wholly negative.

This work is a reminder that life is indeed a parade that is unpredictable and filled with amazing moments. If we chose to look at it through the eyes of a child, what a remarkable life we will lead.

2311 Brickyard Ave. Grand Island, NE 68801 +1361-301-3793 calvaryfellowship.com hello@calvaryfellowship.com

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Some of the artist's echoes: Starting clockwise upper left, Collins on Chief, her grandfather who picked cotton and worked in the mills, Sharing the Gospel message grasping the bicycle, an early conversation with a loving horse, and the hands of her grandmother, from a across all nations well worn life of hardship

Echoes

We are indeed each a symphony, The echoes of those who have gone before us, And we ourselves through action create a voice, That will echo for future generations, An untold opportunity, What will your echoes be?

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Ashley Collins echoes

Departing from the Earth Toned Colorfields

Collins first grew to fame with her earth toned colorfield works, particularly the large scaled giant horse heads, which have become as associated with her name as the cast branch horses are to Deborah Butterfield.

However, early in the days of homelessness before her first paintings ever sold, Collins was drawn to the monochromatic use of black and white, the light and the dark.

In those early years she also employed encaustic. Originally, her use of encaustic stemmed from the fact that she could not afford to purchase resin. Her subject matter reflected the darkness of her struggle. Now, the echoes of those times and techniques show in her present work.

2311 Brickyard Ave. Grand Island, NE 68801 +1361-301-3793 calvaryfellowship.com hello@calvaryfellowship.com

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Ashley Collins echoes

About the artist

Ashley Collins (born 1967) is an American Contemporary Painting Icon whose massive scaled paintings are found in blue chip collections and museums worldwide. Collins’ painful and lengthy journey from homelessness and abject poverty to acclaimed painter informs meaning into each of her deeply layered works. Collins is known in part for taking exhibitions to new levels, such as floating 8’x10’ works off of 50’ cranes, using fire, water, and other elements. Her journey from rags to riches has been one of the most painful yet successful in American Art and her international recognition has soared.

Although painting professionally since 1988, Collins first came to blue chip collector attention in the early 2000s. Her massive scaled contemporary works integrate portions of figurative horse heads among layers of collage, historical documents, steel, metal, and other mediums which have broken price points for living female contemporary painters. Robert Rauschenberg, who later became a friend to Collins, upon seeing her works found in them the pain, confidence and struggles of his own journey.

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Helping Others Collins has given both her time and hundreds of thousands of dollars assisting charities for women and children worldwide, an echo of her own struggle and fight. Her focus is on the following charities.

Sunrise Children's Village, Siam Reap, Cambodia: underwriting this wonderful orphanage for years Life and Hope Education, Siam Reap, Cambodia: sewing school and university training for girls to prevent trafficking Hamlin Fistula Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: paying for hundreds of women's surgeries and recovery aid Education for All Moracco: focusing on girls schools in Marrakech High Atlas Camp Rainbow Gold, Sun Valley, ID: magical camp for children with cancer MD Anderson Cancer Center, University of Texas The Smile Train, Worldwide: underwriting over 1000 cleft palette surgeries for children International Medical Corp: underwriting vaccines for thousands of women and children

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Ashley Collins echoes

Calvary Fellowship Sharing the Gospel message across all nations