Lori 

Much like preparing for a career in any industry, it takes grit and good old-fashioned hard work to succeed in a creative field. For Australian artist Ashvin Harrison, it took years of trying on different hats to discover his true passion for the arts.

Ashvin Harrison was born in Elizabeth, a suburb on the outskirts of Adelaide in Southern Australia, and raised in a working-class family that didn't support traditional schooling. His father forced him to quit school several times to take up various jobs to earn money for his keep. Growing up, Ashvin moved around Southern and Eastern Australia and didn't have a solid relationship with his family, except for his grandfather, who was a considerable influence in Ashvin's life.

Blue Midnight Tree

Out of necessity, Ashvin focused on work that would earn a steady income for basics like food and housing. From the unripe age of 14, Ashvin worked as a cook, hairdresser, cleaner, builder, and even for Google, sometimes working 2-3 jobs. Though he had an innate desire to create music and art, Harrison didn't have the funds to purchase the instruments and materials needed, and he would draw or paint on the side using leftover house paint as a medium.

Eventually, Ashvin went back to school to earn a degree and become a teacher. After some time, it became apparent that this wasn't an ideal fit, as he found himself now shifting more and more of his attention to his artwork on nights and weekends and gaining attention by selling some of his pieces. 

Painting Dreams

At a more stable point financially, the self-taught Ashvin decided on acrylics and charcoal as his primary medium for creating his astounding paintings. Ashvin, on his dynamic images, "I splash acrylics around the charcoal work as an expression of movement, beauty, and emotion. I aim to create a lust for life right now with my charcoal and acrylic works." Ashvin's art seeks to represent life as a single moment in time, with no real beginning or end.

We can see the artist's riveting use of emotion, and movement in his work River City Hummingbird, a stunning wall decor that adeptly captures nature's fleeting tendencies and the gracefulness of the human form in Daisy Dance. 

A notable trademark of Ashvin's is in his decision to use white backgrounds consistently in his creations. This technique allows for a prominent display of subject and character and the stark contrast between his chosen mediums.

Daisy Dance

Since transitioning to becoming a full-time artist, Ashvin produced 900 pieces and sold over 100k prints. Ashvin sells his works online and reproductions in stores mainly in the United States for people of all budget levels to enjoy.

This fantastic visual creator has talents that go way beyond his paintings. Staying within the realm of the arts, Ashvin enjoys writing music and songs for the piano and plays guitar, bass, drums, and trumpet. With the outdoors calling to him, Harrison enjoys the solitude of gardening, bike riding, and working out.

Oceanum Ballet

It wasn't an easy or direct journey for Ashvin to realize his dream career as a self-taught artist, but persistence and a gnawing passion for his craft resulted in the ultimate reward of success. Click here to view Ashvin Harrison's stunning entire collection.