Biography

Biographical Information about Susan Ashley

A native of Ohio, I have lived in the San Francisco Bay Area since my pre-school years. Formative years were spent in Burlingame, California, where there was lots of time and freedom to explore the surrounding hills and vacant lots of the town. My home is now in San Jose. I remember when the city of San Jose was the "Garden of Hearts Delight" as the agricultural center for the South Bay. Acres and acres of orchards covered the city landscape. Now San Jose is the 10th largest city in the U.S. with "Silicon Valley" as it's sobriquet. The University of California at Berkeley is where I graduated. I worked for several years doing interior design and custom drapery work for several major department stores. Drawn to the arts all my life, my interest in landscapes and icons of the Bay Area are particularly compelling for me. Juxtaposing the exotic as well as the familiar is significant in my work.