We had the good fortune of connecting with Ash Wheeler and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ash, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
The conception of the idea of my business Dust & Ash Co. was simple and lighthearted at first- it came to mind in 2015 and evolved A LOT before it actually turned into something. I’m always dreaming and a lot of the ideas I have don’t end up sticking- I’ll dismiss them before bed. But the idea of Dust & Ash Co. was something I could. not. get out of my head. It always came back to me and was in the back of my mind. It started with just the artwork which then turned into an entire life change: a career change, a job change, a life mission. All I wanted was to paint the moons of our solar system and tell people about them along the way- I still have that passion to this day and that’s really special, 5 years later.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My art focuses on the wonders of the universe we call home- more recently I studied + painted the spherical moons of our solar system. The science behind what I paint is where my passion lies. The craters, chasmata, atmospheres and mystery of the objects I choose to portray are what fascinate me and what ultimately led me to change my career from artist to astrophysicist. I feel strongly that the science that directs my art is a large part of what distinguishes me from other astro-artists. I made a decision early on that I wanted to paint my moons on round canvases to emphasize their gravity: and by that I mean them literally having enough mass to form a spherical shape. I also approach my artwork from a position of meekness- I believe in a God who created all of the objects I choose to paint. When learning about them you can’t help but be humbled regardless of what you believe. Tying the belief I have of a Creator who made planets and moons and galaxies to also believing he made me and you and everything that’s ever existed is basically the coolest thing ever. It’s my driving force and is what makes me want to keep going at this. What I’m most excited about right now is the future of space for humankind. I plan on working for NASA one day and returning humans to the Moon and forward to Mars. The past, present and future of space travel interest me greatly and also play a large role in my business. Getting here was not easy to say the least and I honestly still have a long way to go. I’ve been in college since late 2014- I watched most of my friends graduate a while ago. Making the decision to change my major as a senior in college to an entirely different career field was hard. I’m inspired by a lot of successful people in my life who also have non-traditional pathways. If I let myself go down the rabbit hole of where I *think* I should be right now… it’s just a waste of time. I believe every second of everyone’s stories holds value. I might not have launched my business and be working for myself right now had I not made the scary decision to change my life so drastically. I want to be passionate about what I do in my life. I want to dedicate my life to something greater than myself. For me right now that means telling people about what is above their heads through my artwork. For me in the future that means helping humans go farther than ever before through science. If you’re reading this- you are special. You are far more capable than you may think. You are positioned ever so perfectly on a planet in a solar system in a galaxy in a universe that is SO unbelievably fantastic. Through Dust & Ash Co. I hope people feel inspired, fascinated and curious when experiencing my brand.

Any great local spots you’d like to shoutout?
If the global pandemic weren’t happening right now (ugh), I would be SO excited to show them how amazing Atlanta is. Coffee is life so I would 100% take them to all of my favorite coffee shops: Chrome Yellow, Brash, Bellwood, Coldbrew Bar, etc. (Brother Moto was my favorite shop of ALL TIME). The food scene in Atlanta is INSANE and Superica would be the first stop (or any of Ford Fry’s restaurants for that matter). I love walking around Ponce City Market, Westside Provisions, Krog Street Market, Atlantic Station… there’s a lot of fun shopping here. One of my favorite things on earth to do is go antiquing and I’ve actually found that the best antique/thrift stores are where my parents live about 30 minutes south of the city (Peachtree City/newnan/sharpsburg/fayettville area) so that would for sure happen. Something nostalgic to me that I love doing is going to Felini’s pizza off of ponce and then going to a planetarium show at Fernbank. I did that growing up and it’s debatably one of my favorite things of all time. I’m an itinerary kind of girl so you can believe there would be a plan in place (insert sunglasses-cool-face-emoji).

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Simply put, my business most likely wouldn’t have gotten off the ground if it weren’t for the encouragement of my husband Michael. I was intimidated by the technology, the logistics and leaving my job to pursue my dream. He has always been in my corner giving me pep-talks, listening to all my crazy ideas and telling people about my business. When you say for five years you’re going to start your own business selling moon paintings and talking about outer space… you can imagine the looks! Haha, but from day one he always took me seriously. He was the first person I heard say “Dust & Ash Co.” out loud and dreams *with* me about the future of my business. I couldn’t thank him enough. I have a lot of incredible friends with a wide range of talents who so kindly guided me in the ways of domains, stretching canvas prints, pricing, photography, etc. who I leaned on heavily. I’ve read often that a lot of what stops artists from creating their own businesses is the “business” aspect of it. I’m obviously still not an expert on the business side of things but I’m grateful for the opinions of those closest to me that help usher me in making wise decisions for the future of my brand.

Website: www.dustandashco.com
Instagram: @dustandashco
Linkedin: Ashley Wheeler
Twitter: @dustandashco
Facebook: Dust + Ash Co.

Image Credits
Brooke Greene