Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Schroepfer.
Hi Ashley, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Ever since I was a kid, I liked to do different types of art. Anything from painting with different paints or drawing with colored pencils, to making clothes or cars for my stuffed animals. Both of my parents are creative in many ways, and I think I picked up a lot from watching them work on different projects.
When I was in middle school, I taught myself to sew and began making some of my own clothes. During this time, I also did lots of painting with acrylics on different objects, including picture frames, canvases, and CDs. When I reached high school, I became more interested in watercolors, ink, and natural or recycled elements. I did a large range of projects, including dresses for my school dances, sculptures using branches or leaves, and beeswax candles. Many of the projects I did in high school reflected techniques or concepts discussed in the art classes I was enrolled in or things I had seen that I wanted to recreate in some way.
Since high school, I’ve tried out lots of different projects, and what is listed on ashleyschroepfer.com is a collection of that. I’ve got prints of a few of my favorite paintings and drawings from the last few years, as well as a rotating collection of other projects I’ve been working on this year. Many of the most recent pieces I have available have some elements which are recycled or natural.
For example, a recent project I completed was beeswax candles, made from recycled glass containers and beeswax harvested from the bees my parents keep back in Wisconsin.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
In May of this year, I opened an Instagram account and began posting about the Etsy shop I planned to open on June 1st. June 1st came around, and I opened the store with just a few items available but more in the works. By the end of July, I had my very first order, a print of a drawing I had done inspired by The Lumineers song, Sleep on the Floor. I was very excited and sent in an order for prints so that I could complete the order.
A few days later, I was ready to send the package and went online to complete the order, when I found that my account had been deleted. I was crushed. Luckily, I had the customer’s email and was able to let them know the issue and resolve it outside of Etsy, while I waited for their customer service team to help me. In the end, it took a few days and I had my account back, though I was not pleased with the situation and how it was handled by Etsy. So, I decided to open my own website. That in itself has had a bit of a learning curve because I don’t have much if any knowledge about creating websites and the behind-the-scenes of how they work. There’s been a few bumps in the road with it, but I’ve been able to figure it out well enough to work.
The other thing that has been a bit of a struggle is I have spent the year traveling quite a bit. In February I left Wisconsin to come to Texas, and I have been doing work exchange programs around the state ever since. I’ve stayed at each job an average of 3 months, which means lots of packing and unpacking. This has sometimes made it a bit difficult to create and be consistently online since at each place there is a period of transition.
There has also been the issue of space. Being that I enjoy so many different types of projects, I have lots of materials that I’d like to keep with me. This has been quite a struggle though, in terms of having enough space in my car for everything as well as having space at each place to use it. Some jobs have more space than others, and at some, I feel a bit cramped or in the way when I am trying to work on my time-consuming projects.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Over the last year, I’ve done a number of different jobs through Workaway, trying out different fields and locations. However, I’ve spent most of the year at Chateau Wright in Fort Davis. There, I did lots of hands-on vineyard work and helped out in the winery as well. On the weekends I worked the food truck they have parked on-site, Too Hot For TABC. I’ve also worked a few events with Too Hot For TABC, including the Trans Pecos festival in Marfa, and the Burger Showdown 2.0 here in San Antonio.
Prior to coming down to Texas, I’ve worked mostly in retail and foodservice, and have explored some types of farming. I have a few business ideas but am still in the process of finding what best suits me in terms of work. I hope to gain some new skills this year as I find work in the city, to use in future endeavors.
Any big plans?
Going forward my number one goal is to expand what is available in my store. I would like to offer clothes and other things that I have sewed, but until I have permanently moved I just don’t have the space to do that. I would also like to have more paintings, and newer prints added to my collection online, as well as temporary tattoos with some original designs.
I also have a few other ideas for special releases and sales which I am hoping to make happen in 2022. I would also like to learn more about and participate in any pop-up markets or art fairs once I have more pieces to offer. Further down the road, I would also like to open an art studio where I could teach classes and provide a space for the community to have access to many different types of art materials and tools.
Contact Info:
- Email: ashleyschroepferstore@gmail.com
- Website: ashleyschroepfer.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashley_schroepfer/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ashleyschroepferstore/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@ashley_schroepfer
Image Credits
Headshot photographed by James Smith
