Ashley Layne, or “Layne” as she much prefers, grew up in Columbia, SC where her family, and in particular her grandmother, played a large role in her developing interest in art. She becomes very animated when discussing her grandmother. “I will always be indebted to my grandmother for encouraging my art!” she says, beaming. Birds fly prevalently through most of her paintings, originating from bird watching with her grandmother. Layne has enjoyed exposure of her art from the time she was a young girl, having her work displayed in the State Museum in Columbia when she was in third grade. She also has work hanging in a couple of Greenville restaurants. Layne has decided on pursuing a degree in fine arts and painting her way through life. She would like to own an art studio one day, one where individual booths are available for artists to ply their wares. She was particularly excited about the choice of painting for the cover of the upcoming issue of the Blue Granite Review. The painting is homage to her dear grandmother, who remains her muse. ——-Joey Holland
Blue Granite Review 