ashley ronning
artist and illustrator
What were you up to in 2004? I was in high school back home in Canberra! I spent my free time listening to So Fresh, playing Neopets on the computer, drawing manga-style characters and watching Australian Idol.
And what are you up to these days? I spend most days in my studio illustrating and risograph printing, as well as working in a job that supports artists with disabilities. I’m also starting to work on my first book! When I’m off the clock, I’m gardening, watching local bands and playing Dungeons & Dragons. I also have a cheeky little cat named Tazelwurm who is a complete clown.
What has been your biggest achievement over the past two decades? My second solo exhibition No Place Like Space in 2017 was so much hard work, but I was so stoked with how everything looked. It was a very DIY operation – creating a body of work, risograph printing, designing a publication, installing and promoting the show – and my mates helped look after the bar and merch stall. Looking back on that time, I’m really proud of the massive amount of work I put into that exhibition. I’d love to do it again soon.
How has your career evolved during this time? There have been so many highs and lows, and I’m still working on finding a good balance of everything. I’m stoked that I’m able to make art as a career, but I’m also working on making that career sustainable into the future.
How did you first connect with frankie? I remember that frankie really stood out to me among all the other magazines in the newsagency – it was so wonderful and unique, and opened up a whole new world of amazing art and design to me. I was so incredibly stoked when I first had a mention in frankie for a zine I made with Sarah McNeil called Plant Feelings. My phone would autocorrect “FRANKIE” to all-caps from when I excitedly texted my mum the big news.
Do you have any memorable projects or pieces you’ve worked on for us? I've worked on so many exciting things for frankie! Some highlights would include creating illustrations for the frankie press book something to say, making an X-Ray Spex t-shirt for a band tee feature, and more recently drawing a couple of Australian Women’s Weekly cakes including my fave, Dolly Varden.
The brainstorming process is pretty similar – scribbling down ideas and searching for inspiration. But when I’m creating the artwork, I’ll usually go digital for commissioned work so that it's really easy to make changes. When I make work for myself, I can use traditional media and get
