Comerford Profiles 32: Ashlee Comerford, Canadian artist

Ashlee Comerford ... prize-winning artist born in St John’s, Newfoundland

Patrick Comerford

The Colorado-based artist Ashlee Comerford was born in St John’s, Newfoundland, Canada, in 1983. She showed early promise as an artist with her illustrations adorning school yearbooks and earning top honours in school art fairs. However, a passion for figure skating delayed her art career: Ashlee skated competitively for most of her younger years and became a coach in both St John’s, Newfoundland, and Calgary, Alberta.

Ashlee began exploring her art talents in 2006, producing a small number of original paintings as gifts. A recent work assignment for husband Jim led Ashlee to Colorado, where she now devotes her time to painting.

Ashlee has been taught by Daniel Edmondson from Fort Collins, Colorado, and is currently receiving instruction from Ron Hicks at the Denver Arts League. His influence is helping tap into a wellspring of innate talent.

Modelling is also a part of Ashlee’s career. Many of her paintings are in fact of the artist herself. Ashlee also models for well-known artists Joan Rossberg (featured in Southwest Art magazine), Kim English (featured in American Art Collector), and Johanna Harmon (American Portrait Society’s top artist).

Ashlee is a member of the Cheyenne Artists’ Guild, and of the American Impressionistic Society. She was selected by a jury for the Art Students’ League of Denver “My Favorite Piece” Show in May 2009, and the Art Students’ League of Denver Summer Art Market in June 2009. She also attended a Kim English workshop in Taos, New Mexico.

Ashlee Comerford’s paintings capture both natural and esoteric realms, in which she blends earthly beauty and the stirrings of the heart.

Striking a Chord ... a prize winning painting for Ashlee Comerford at the 2009 Glenwood Springs Fall Art Festival

Her awards include: 2009 Glenwood Springs Fall Art Festival, 2nd Place (out of 350 artists) for her painting Striking a Chord; 2008 Glenwood Springs Art Festival 1st Place. Special Exhibit “Imagine” Award, presented by Colorado Community Banks, for her work represents John Lennon’s Imagine.

© Patrick Comerford 2009, 2013.

Last updated: 3 November 2009; 5 January 2013.