My RI Life: Photographer & Korean Skincare Product Aficiondo Ashley Farney
Today is all about Ashley, who is interning on the blog this summer. Scroll down to find out more about her 'fabulous RI life'.
According to Ashley
I first discovered Rhode Island at the beginning of high school, when my family moved to Newport from Mississippi. Eventually we made our way up to the East Bay in Bristol. Currently I call Warren my home, and share my apartment with two dogs, two cats, and a husband. Rhode Island’s bohemian atmosphere really matches my style, and is probably the result of the state’s many colleges and universities - personally, I’ve taken courses at all three state schools and hold a B.F.A. in Photography from The University of Rhode Island which I completed in May of 2015.
Inspirations And Aesthetics
My attitude towards my own photography is straightforward; I like telling stories with my artwork. Unraveling narratives through art has always been a knack of mine - in fact, before photography, I used to be an Illustrator. It is perhaps my background in illustration and printmaking which gives me the unique perspective I have with my photos. Most of my inspiration is drawn from the tales of lore featured in my favorite graphic novels, films, and video games... although my artwork can be technical in practice, its energy is driven by the things I love. Recently I’ve been delving into the world of Urban Exploration, attempting to give life to abandoned places through my photography. History is one of those things I love, and Southern New England certainly has a lot of it!
Food And Restaurants
While in college, I spent a semester abroad in South Korea. It’s there in Incheon (a city just outside the capitol of Seoul) where I truly fell in love with the culture, language, and people. Of course, since I’ve been back I’ve been obsessed with Korean food. My favorite local Korean restaurant is Sun and Moon in East Providence. It’s family owned, and the food is outstanding! Each visit I can’t help but order some Bibimbap and Kimbap.
As delicious as I find Korean food to be, dining out every night isn’t exactly practical. Luckily, Rhode Island is home to plenty of fresh produce and farms. For meals during the week, I tend to shop at one of my favorite fruit and produce stands. Johnson’s Roadside Farm Market is just a hop across the border in Swansea MA, and a lot of their produce is locally sourced... what’s more amazing is that they also have many gluten free options :D
For the vegan friendly and gluten free, Raw Power Juice Bar in Newport is a quick and easy destination. Since I used to commute to URI from the East Bay, Raw Power was an easy, healthy option - the food is great even if you aren’t a practicing vegetarian or on a gluten free diet. My usual combo there is the Black Bean & Brown Rice Burger (on a gluten free wrap), along with either the Rhode Island or Hope Island smoothie.
Skincare And Beauty
Tasty treats aside, Korea also introduced me to a world of beauty products that I’ve since not been able to live without. In fact, I’m constantly using Korean websites and Amazon to stock up on my Korean Skin and Beauty products which are shipped straight from South Korea.
Most of the beauty products I use include Black Egg as an ingredient; I find it works fantastic at fighting acne and clearing up your skin. One of my preferred Korean brands is Skin Food, which makes a wide variety of soothing solutions. Missha is another great Korean brand that makes great masks and make up. I tend to gravitate towards simple and natural ingredients in the beauty products I use, so I look for anything with aloe, shea butter, and green tea. I use coconut oils in my hair, and I only ever remove my make up with olive oil - trust me, it works great ;-)
Style & Signatures
My own personal style might be considered quirky... I like to mix prints with solid colors or fun designs. Above all I try to just be comfortable in my clothes. From time to time, I try out a retro take on some of my outfits, by arranging accessories to emulate a 20's or 40's style. Since I prefer to curate my own wardrobe and put together my own outfits, I find it’s easier to get clothing if I don’t have one particular store in mind. I can’t talk about my own style without mentioning my tattoos, which are as widely traveled as I am. I make it a point to never have more than a single tattoo from an individual artist - and try to vary styles from all over the globe (I even had a half sleeve watercolor inspired design in Korea.). Rhode Island is even a great place for tattoos, since we have so many people from all over the world who have their own style!
Like I said, my goal with photography is to tell stories. I guess I’m always so busy working on it, I seldom take time to sit back and read my own story. After writing this, I hope you’ll find my story as interesting and fun as the ones I create with my camera :P
Photo Credits: All photos courtesy of Ashley Farney, except for the Korean beauty product images, which were found on the Missha and Skin Food sites. To see more of Ashley's work, click here.