THE JOURNEY TO HERE.

Ashley Swinton is a self-taught watercolor artist. She was born and raised in Eugene, Oregon and has now called Juneau, Alaska home for over 15 years. She has been sketching and doodling for as long as she can remember. Growing up in Oregon with stunning gems such as the Painted Hills, Crater Lake, and the Oregon Coast, and now living in Juneau with miles and miles of trails to mountain tops and forest service cabins, she longed to capture the beauty of Southeast Alaska and the Pacific Northwest with watercolor for many years. It wasn’t until the birth of her first child though, that she finally decided, “Who cares if you’re bad. What if it’s fun? What if you enjoy it?! Life is short. Don’t wait anymore!” And with that, she dove in.

One of the first things she learned was the importance of quality paper. Unable to find many sketchbooks on the market with 100% cotton paper, she decided to make one herself. It quickly became apparent there were many others also in the market for sketchbooks containing artist quality paper. After some reflection on all those trips to forest service cabins and experiencing the unmatched beauty Southeast Alaska has to offer, realizing how each trip, each cabin, served as an “art studio” speaking to her heart and soul, calling her to capture the scenes before her, Little Cabin Studios was born. Little Cabin Studios is now a full scale bindery, offering premium hand bound sketchbooks, for both watercolor and mixed media.

Ashley also hosts Brews & Brushes, a small-group watercolor workshop where she imparts her artistic wisdom to those interested in exploring the medium, or just having some fun in a new way. Living in Juneau this long, she knows all too well how little is offered in the way of adult activities, especially in the winter, and she had a great desire to provide the community with something different. She says she designed Brews & Brushes to be all brews; coffee, tea, kombucha.. It’s all brewed! She didn’t like how so many paint and sip style classes leaned toward alcohol and specifically wine. She wanted everyone to feel welcome: all ages, all skill levels, all walks of life, and to allow others to experience the playful and curious nature of watercolor that she had come to love so much. 

She says it has been incredible to find her artistic voice alongside this community, and it has been so rewarding to share watercolor and open the world of creativity to so many who, like herself, were fearful in starting. These days you’ll find Ashley around town often with her two little ones in tow. She’s never without her full travel art kit in her backpack, which includes enough for the three of them to share. And she never hesitates to get out the art supplies with them, hoping they never fear exploring their own creativity.