Art and nature intertwined

November 24, 2025

An interview with Alison Ashwood

Art takes various forms and functions, meaning innumerable things to people. That’s the beauty of it. Every piece of art can be viewed through a different lens, evoking a variety of ideas and emotions.

For Alison Ashwood, art gives her a connection to nature that is both physical and creative.

Alison is based in North Wales and creates canvases, sculptures, decorative art and functional pieces for her business ‘Natural Creations by Alison’. She uses natural materials she collects on local beaches and river ways.

Alison collecting materials at Aberystwyth

Her love of art, creating and nature are intertwined, starting from a very young age. “My mum said I picked up a crayon when I was a tot and I was never without paper, pencils and crayons from that point on.”

The same goes for the outdoors. One of Alison’s earliest memories was as a three-year old exploring the woods and river located on a common at the back of her Surrey home before the family moved to Wales.

“Growing up in Snowdonia I was always outside, and I loved collecting interesting bits of wood and other items I found. I created my own nature table and would draw all the things I found, then research them and label the collection.”

Her drawing skill was recognised by an art teacher when Alison was just 15 years old and studying her GCSEs. She was encouraged to apply to art college. “I went to Bangor University for a foundation course and they accepted me on the strength of my half-finished GCSE portfolio.”

Alison commenced the course on gaining an A* in her Art GCSE, yet the strict style didn’t suit her and she left just after a few weeks. “I felt stifled being told when and how to create, and what medium to use. I also didn’t like being told I only had two hours to finish a piece. I can’t do it in two hours, I’m a perfectionist!”

Leaving her art course behind, Alison pursued careers in beauty therapy and teaching English as a foreign language in Cyprus before a move to Saudi Arabia in 2015 provided an opportunity for her to refocus on her passion.

“We lived on a compound in Saudi Arabia and there were only a few shops there, but nowhere to buy any personal gifts. The shops outside the compound were ridiculously expensive and uninspiring, so I decided to start my own business.”

Alison created a successful craft business which gave her the confidence to pursue her art when she returned to the UK in 2019. Since then, she’s been drawn to natural objects and uses them in her art.

A canvas using locally sourced materials

“I love the tranquillity and peace of beaches, rivers and woods and I go on treasure hunts and find beautiful pieces of wood. Sometimes I know what I can do with it immediately but other times I have to work the wood, stripping back the deadwood and rotten bark and twigs, before an idea emerges. It is a very organic process.”

Some of her latest works include a centrepiece featuring a moon-shaped globe light, a coffee table, table lamp, as well as many other sculptures.

The work can be hard going with Alison collecting a large range of power tools to help create the perfect piece.

“Depending on the wood, I use an angle grinder, belt sander, mouse sander, oscillating tool, rotary tool, plus I hand sand the wood before waxing the finished piece. But I love working with wood and I find it extremely cathartic as it requires time, patience and delicacy to produce highly finished pieces. It’s warm and so tactile, and it actually looks better the more you touch it due to the oils from your hands.”

Every piece created by Alison is unique and made from locally sourced wood. “The wood I collect from the beach is very different to the wood I collect down at the river, from the texture to the size to the colour. As a result, no one piece I create is the same.”

With ambitions of being stocked across the country, visitors to the new Life: Full Colour Gallery in Caernarfon will have the chance to snap up an original Alison Ashwood piece before she takes on the world!

It’s a beautiful way to enjoy a functional piece of art in your home, bringing nature indoors to enjoy and touch.