Six years ago, having recently retired from teaching at UVM and planning to travel frequently, Ashman was looking for a creative outlet that was more portable than the stained glass work he had had done off and on over the years. When visiting art galleries Ashman found himself drawn to watercolor paintings. The first time the artist mixed pigment with water and watched the color flow and blend with other colors on the paper, he was hooked.
Ashman has called Vermont home for 50 years and is still in awe of its natural beauty. He is drawn to try to capture something of that beauty in his paintings. Having grown up near the ocean and had a boat on Lake Champlain for the past 17 years, waterscapes, boats, and lighthouses are among Ashman's favorite subjects.
