Josephine Ashton’s creative life reads like a beautifully evolving novel. Each chapter is rich with new medium, fresh inspirations, and a deepening vision. As an artist and author, Ashton explores the relationship between self-expression and spiritual symbolism, and how both find their voice in form, color, and line. Her journey through different artistic “chapters” has led her to explore open-faced florals, shifting portraits of her evolving identity, and most recently, a captivating body of work rooted in Magical Realism.
Magical Realism: A Bridge Between the Real and the Mythical
The term Magical Realism often calls to mind literature where everyday life is infused with subtle magic, but Ashton brings this idea vividly into the visual arts. Her current series explores iconic and imagined buildings and landscapes, as well as pure abstraction. These paintings unfold to reveal spirit-like or totemic faces as if conjured from another realm.
One remarkable piece in this series is a 14-foot mural that was featured at the prestigious Taos Fall Arts Festival in Taos, New Mexico. This mural, like many of her works, straddles the boundary between the architectural and the ethereal. Her compositions often begin with structural intent but evolve into organic revelations—faces, beings, or sacred geometries that seem to rise to the surface of their own accord. The result is not just a painting but an experience, a portal to something deeper and unseen.
A Foundation in Exploration and Education
Josephine Ashton’s creative education reflects a blend of rigorous academic training and adventurous lived experience. She earned a B.A. in Visual Arts from California and an M.A. in Arts in Education from Harvard University. Just as critical to her evolution was her time spent in the creative ferment of Venice, California, in the 1960s, surrounded by artists and freethinkers pushing the boundaries of conventional art.
Her wanderlust and spiritual curiosity led her to live in Mexico, Guatemala, and Taiwan. These are all places rich with indigenous traditions, bold visual languages, and mystic undercurrents that subtly inform her work today. These cultural experiences laid the groundwork for her current explorations in Magical Realism, providing both a global context and a deeply personal foundation for her vision.
Living in the Vortex: Taos, New Mexico
In recent years, Ashton has settled in Taos, New Mexico, a place renowned for its natural beauty, spiritual energy, and thriving artistic community. Taos has long drawn artists seeking inspiration from its dramatic landscapes and sacred histories. For Ashton, the area is more than just a setting. It is an energetic catalyst. She describes the inspiration as the vortex whispering “Magical Realism” into her consciousness.
The influence of Taos can be felt in the dreamlike palettes she employs—earthy reds, cosmic blues, desert golds—and in the balance between structure and spontaneity within her compositions. Her work doesn’t just depict nature or architecture; it channels the spirit of place, the unseen energies that animate the physical world.
Emergent Faces and Totemic Imagery
What makes Ashton’s work in Magical Realism so distinctive is her ability to let the artwork evolve beyond the original concept. In her abstract pieces, forms often emerge organically during the painting process. Totemic or spirit-like faces, otherworldly animals, and ancestral figures begin to surface. These images feel less like inventions and more like revelations, suggesting that the canvas itself holds memory or intention waiting to be uncovered.
This method allows her to access a subconscious realm, inviting the viewer to interpret and connect with the work on a deeply personal level. The interplay between the controlled and the accidental creates a visual tension that is both intimate and expansive.
An Interdisciplinary Mind: Art and Authorship
In addition to her visual art, Ashton is a writer. This skill complements her painterly storytelling. Her creative output flows fluidly between the written word and the visual image, each medium informing the other. Both practices explore themes of identity, transformation, and the unseen forces that shape our lives.
Her artwork could be described as visual poems. They are evocative, layered, and open to interpretation. Whether with a pen or a paintbrush, Ashton seeks not just to represent reality but to re-enchant it.
Exhibitions and Recognition
Josephine Ashton’s artwork has been shown in numerous exhibitions, including solo and group shows across California and New Mexico. Her inclusion in major festivals like the Taos Fall Arts Festival has brought wider attention to her latest chapter in Magical Realism. Yet for Ashton, recognition is secondary to authenticity. Her creative drive stems from the internal need to explore, respond, and transform.
Conclusion: Creativity as a Spiritual Journey
Josephine Ashton’s art defies easy categorization. It is grounded yet mystical, architectural yet fluid, abstract yet intimate. With each new chapter of her artistic life, she invites viewers to travel alongside her. Not just through places or styles, but through inner worlds, archetypal dreams, and spiritual awakenings.
In a world increasingly dominated by the superficial and the disposable, Ashton’s art stands as a testament to depth, transformation, and soul. Whether it appears in the form of a sprawling mural, a totemic face hidden in abstraction, or a poem carved from paint and memory, her work reminds us that there is more than meets the eye. The magic we seek might just be waiting to emerge from within.
