We were lucky to catch up with Ashley Lynn recently and have shared our conversation below.

Ashley , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

First Off I would like to humbly recognize the land on which I live, work, and create is Dena’ina Land. I am grateful to be a non-indigenous guest on this land. I am a non-indigenous person on Native land and humbly acknowledge the peoples and history of this land. This land acknowledgment is an essential first step whenever someone asks me about my art. Without this land, without the constant love and support of I have received from my friends and family, I would not be the artist I am today. I reside in the beautiful Chugach Mountains, Anchorage, Alaska, Dena’ina Ełnena.

I have always been creative since I was little. I remember winning an art contest in Kindergarten by drawing and coloring an “under the sea” scene. To this day, I can still remember my childhood subconscious renderings of octopi, fish, and jelly fish.

Growing up I was often in my own world, in my own space riding the waves of my imagination, creating a magical world among the day to day. I was an empathetic and sensitive little soul, trying to make sense of the world around me. My creative mind found solace in play. My favorite Encyclopedia book was all about “Make and Do”. Art in some form has always been a part of my life, a part of coping with the often difficult circumstances that presented when i was growing up. Through struggles and hardships, I remember a sense of peace in finding a mental and physical space that fostered creativity and imagination.

I dabbled with artistic expression in my 20s, yet did not have a dedicated creative outlet at that time. In this decade, I focused my efforts on the art of healing, working towards and obtaining a Masters of Art in Nursing from one of the only programs in the U.S. Offering this “art” focused Master’s degree. I found myself in a healing field that supported my goals and future in a way that I had not yet seen with my creative pursuits alone. In a field with a balance of art (my passion) and science (my other passion) I began to thrive in my adult life.

My overt artistic process (as far as working with my hands to create tangible art) was pretty non-existent at this point. I remember finding a lot of “projects” to do around our home, and worked to focus on my career and steadfastly supportive partner. Looking back/knowing what I know now, I see that I tried to compartmentalize my work and art. I saw myself as a professional healer, was happy with what I had accomplished in my career goals, but felt something was missing. I remember convincing myself that I needed to be an artist or a nurse and could not actualize both in the way I wanted to. Overcoming this mental obstacle was so important. I find that being an artist is really about pushing against labels and obstacles that become barriers to finding our selves, our passions, our joys. Recognizing that the ability to create lies in all of us, and art is not a concept that belongs in a rigid box, was a huge step in my creative path.

I have experienced health struggles throughout my life, whether through my family members or my own health issues. I started to put together earrings during times when I was not feeling well physically. I had always loved wearing earrings, buying them when we traveled, the story that they carried when hand-made from local artists wherever we traveled. I met amazing artists and connected with some lovely indigenous artists locally as well as in the lower 48. I was able to meet some very inspiring creatives and makers through social media.

It was not until after a major surgery in my 30s that I started to make art in a more dedicated manner. A long recovery was anticipated, a period of major activity restriction in the dark winter of ALaska. In order to avoid a high risk for depression (which I had struggled with in my teens and early 20s) I began to make art pieces every day. I started with a goal, as much as possible, to make my art my own. This meant trying to source as raw materials as possible and to shape/form/create as much of each piece as possible from may own hands.

Learning about salt and vinegar copper patina was a HUGE step in my current path. I learned primarily from other artists online posting YoutTube tutorials and various blogs on copper firing and patina. I sourced small, odd-shaped, shiny copper scraps from a man who made birdhouses and other copper art. I started to purchase these scraps and learned how to make my own ear wires, jump rings, etc, in an effort to craft as much of each piece as possible. I purchased a torch and starting utilizing fire to make patterns on copper, and ultimately began my current journey into creating copper patina pieces made primarily into earrings and the occasional necklace.

I have utilized the self confidence I have built as an artist to continue to push myself to learn other mediums. I have started to work on some larger copper pieces for home decor and have been painting regularly for the past year.

When i started i was making custom pieces only, giving them as gifts. My generosity has been both a blessing and a difficulty in business. At this time my little “hobby” is growing! I constantly fight the need to expand, and the fear that comes with a big leap such as diving in the deep end of an art “business”. Taking the step to get business licensing, etc, was a huge one for me. I feel a constant urge to make “for” others but need to consistently leap forward yet pull back to be true to myself and my vision.

What would I like my followers/fans to know about me? Other than what I have stated, I think it’s essential to know that with each art piece I made there is a story that begins even before that piece is created. For my jewelry, Each piece of copper “scrap” is uniquely transformed through salt and vinegar patina (each piece and patina process meticulously selected and planned prior to even reaching this step!). The process goes from raw copper to copper patina in various stepwise processes; eventually each shape is formed either prior to or generally after the patina process. The shape of the copper, the patina outcome, and other steps determine the finishing process of each eventual piece of jewelry. I envision my pieces as heirloom and story pieces that I hope bring people joy when wearing and gifting them. I really enjoy making pieces with someone in particular in mind- I think these custom pieces are my favorite.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I am healer by profession and by nature, as well as a multi media artist. My art company, Copper Bones Art Co. came to fruition out of necessity essentially. I am a constant seeker and, as so many of us do, have always searched for my place in the world. The art I make now is a direct result of me trying to find my own voice as an artist and to honor that voice, as well as search for and acknowledge its roots. I currently focus on Copper Jewelry and what I consider the magic (of course scientific) process of using salt and vinegar to patina copper into stunning patterns that remind me of the land in which I live.

I have utilized the self confidence I have built as an artist to continue to push myself to learn other mediums. I have started to work on some larger copper pieces for home decor and have been painting regularly for the past year.

I made connections with artists in my local community and all over the world through social media. I found a consistent support in my local community, most notably with my indigenous friends who have become like family to me. I found a level of acceptance and support from from my friends here in Alaska that i had not experienced before. I found my chosen family much through artistic connections here; I found my home as a guest on Dena’ina land. I found solace through learning more truth about this land and the land which I grew up on in the lower 48. In a search for my self, for connections and family, my artistic expression solidified into something I felt peace with. I acknowledge that as artists we are inspired by one another; I knew i needed to honor my self and others by finding my OWN voice and striving not to appropriate any other. I humbly recognize my whiteness and the historical traumas that have been perpetrated by colonization. Decolonization work is essential, i consistently work to decolonize my mind. I am humbled by my indigenous and BIPOC friends and strive to be an ally.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

My creative work as a multi-media artist in much about community and connection. Above all, in addition to feeding my own creative need, my goal has always been to use my privilege to be an effective ally for others.

I started this work out of desire to connect to others, and ultimately this has led to a better sense of my self. My art work has become a catalyst in my life, as I was inspired to reach out to other artists in my local community. I have focused much of my outreach on making connections with people. Through social media platforms, mainly instagram, I have made profound connections with people who I have then connected with in real life. I find honest and pure joy in promoting other artists. I find it important to reach out and make connections when I see something that I perceive as good in the world. This drive to connect has helped me in my work as an artist.

In my daily healthcare work, I am so blessed to work with indigenous people, primarily mamas and their new babies. I am forever changed by the culture of the communities I humbly serve and am constantly inspired by the strength and resilience.
. My partner has Anishinaabe roots and being around him as he works to live his cultural values has also been life changing. I spend a lot of my time working to be a better ally and to recognize my place of privilege, the power struggles that arise with this and my upbringing, and I actively work to decolonize my thought processes and learn an immense body of knowledge from my indigenous friends and colleagues. One of my favorite things to do as an artist is collaborate with other artists.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I forget sometimes to recognize my resilience. I see this overwhelming resilience in the indigenous people I work with every day. I am consistently humbled by human beings and the way in which our minds and bodies adapt to survive. We all have experienced the effects of our epigenetics, historical trauma. I recognize I come from a privileged place and sometimes it is hard to acknowledge my self as resilient. Yet, I do embody resilience as we all do.

I have survived trauma like many of us, especially women. Some day I will be brave enough to recognize this in front of the world. Right now I think that my resilience in that I am still here. Despite struggles I am here. We face trauma and we adapt. I am here, I am standing on my own feet, and supporting myself and my family.

The story of my art is my story of resilience. I hope that my pieces will live on when I am gone some day. I chose Copper to work with and the patina process itself is a story of resilience. Many people think that Copper rusts as other metals do, but rust is essentially corrosion from oxidization. Copper does not degrade but builds the patina on its surfaces as a sort of armor. I see my art as my coping mechanism in a lot of ways and also my armor when I need it. I do not like to boast or sit in front of my pieces and receive compliments or criticism; yet I can do this with the armor that I have built over years of fortification. I think that the other amazing thing about the recipe (copper + vinegar + salt) is that the same materials can be utilized to make an oxidized copper piece shine like new again. This story is essentially a parabel for how we too can remove our armor when we are ready, to show our vulnerabilities in order to renew ourselves, connect, and continue our resilient journeys as human beings.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.Copperbonesartco.com
• Instagram: @copperbonesartco
• Other: @love.AshleyLynn (person)

Image Credits
Ravenstale Studio: Rochelle Kachgoon Smallwood