Ashley Warthen is a portrait artist, arts librarian and published illustrator from Columbia, SC who is known for her splashy, vibrant acrylic ink paintings of animals and people. Ashley enjoys mixing media and trying new techniques, which allows her style to evolve naturally.

Though her figurative work often explores aspects of the female experience, she is inspired by the beauty of Klimt, the energy of van Gogh and the powerful visual storytelling of illustrators like Jerry Pinkney; she's drawn to storytelling through the art of picture books for children. Ashley's muses are often her 3 charismatic chickens and her 2 beautiful children.