Interested in art from a very young age, Brigid Ashwood has made her passion into her career. Although she was self-taught for a long time, Ashwood studied at the Maryland College of Art and Design; she also benefited from the mentoring of a number of professional artists. With all these educational components, it is no surprise that she is a very talented artist. Ashwood is also versatile, as she has had experience as a portrait artist, a faux finish artist, a trompe l’oeil muralist, graphic artist, and website designer.

Ashwood’s unique style has an otherworldly feel. As a child and young woman, she was always fascinated by faeries and mythology, which appear prominently in her paintings and drawings. Her work also shows the influence of the Pre-Raphaelites, the Art Nouveau movement, and World War II-era pin-up art. A number of her family members have been engineers, a career that fascinates her and is apparent in her Steampunk-style artwork. Ashwood’s creations also create a sense of intimacy; fascinated by the human face and form, the characters in her art often seem to be communicating with the viewer, and the way that the images tell a story bring the viewer closer to the meaning within. “This collaboration between artist and audience,” explains Ashwood, “is what I cherish most.” This collaboration is also part of what makes her work so popular and appealing; as a result, she has been featured in three books and a number of international magazines and her artwork can be found in private collections and in publications around the world.