About the Artist

Shelley Ashkowski studied at Cardiff Metropolitan University and has a BA(Hons) Art and Aesthetics and PGCE Secondary Art & Design. With over 20 years of secondary teaching experience Shelley has developed a broad range of skills and knowledge in art. In more recent years Shelley has scaled back her teaching to enable her to focus on her own artistic endeavours and this is how Ashkowski Fine Art was born.

Shelley enjoys observing everyday life in urban settings so people and places have become a key feature of much of her work. "My work is a commentary on the modern world. The urban landscape presents a conflicting scene: beautiful and ugly; quiet and chaotic; a place of happiness and sadness. Through my work I seek to observe the turbulent relationship between man and the world he created."

 

Shelley's work is widely recognised for its painstaking attention to detail and level of precision and this is no more evident than in her current cathedral collection. Let there be Light is a celebration of the history and beauty of churches, abbeys and cathedrals in the UK and beyond.  The portfolio includes meticulously observed architectural studies and a rich exploration of stained glass windows. 

 

"I've always been fascinated by cathedrals. Since childhood they appeared nothing short of miraculous - how was it possible to build something so heavy to such a great height? How do those arches and vaulted ceilings hold everything up? How are those magnificent stained glass windows created? What do the carved figures represent? To this day I still retain that sense of awe and wonder when I visit a cathedral and I love to share my passion with others through the medium of art"

Shelley is a member of the Society of Graphic Fine Art which is highly regarded nationally for its excellence in drawing. She has exhibited her work in a range of galleries including in Bath, Bristol and London and she has a keen following on social media. Shelley is a loyal member of her local community and has supported a range of charities and other causes through her work.