Photo by Nicole Mitchem.
Ashley Palladino stands by a tree with ornaments she has made in her art studio in Chelsea.
Ashley Palladino is an artist who lives in Chelsea. One of her specialties is making custom Christmas ornaments and nutcrackers. You can find her work at her store, Ashley Palladino Art, at 10945 Chelsea Road.
Q: Who are some of your influences?
A: I want to say myself, but also my children. I have always been a stay-at-home mom. I suffered from postpartum depression when my 15-year-old was born, and that’s how this started. I’m a completely self-taught artist, and I’ve always just kind of struggled, and I’ve been a server who started this business with my server money. I’m kind of inspired by just being a better version and showing my kids that you really can do something.
Q: When did you first discover you had an artistic talent?
A: I don’t know. I’ve never really considered myself incredibly talented. It was always something that just made me happy. I think probably, ironically, with my Christmas ornaments about three years ago, I realized that there was something a little more there than just people being nice to me and buying the art that I created.
Q: What’s something interesting about you that people might not know?
A: I think in this community because I do enjoy it and do so much art with children and art in the community, and I’ve been a server for so long, and I’m such a people person out in the public, I’m really actually kind of quiet, into myself and nervous a lot of the time.
