Shelley Ashkowski studied at Cardiff Metropolitan University and has a BA(Hons) Art and Aesthetics and PGCE Secondary Art & Design. With over 20 years of secondary teaching experience Shelley has developed a broad range of skills and knowledge in art. In more recent years Shelley has shifted her focus from her teaching to her own artistic endeavours and this is how Ashkowski Fine Art was born.

Shelley enjoys observing everyday life in urban settings so people and places have become a key feature of much of her work. "My work is a commentary on the modern world. The urban landscape presents a conflicting scene: beautiful and ugly; quiet and chaotic; a place of happiness and sadness. Through my work I seek to observe the turbulent relationship between man and the world he created." Shelley's work is widely recognised for its painstaking attention to detail and level of precision. She takes influence from a broad range of artistic styles including Pop Art, Documentary Art, Photorealism and Architecture.

Shelley's most recent series of work explores the structures and symbolism of religious buildings. Her portfolio includes studies of churches and cathedrals and there is a particular emphasis on the stories told in stained glass windows of these buildings. "I have always had a love of religious architecture, especially Gothic cathedrals, but it wasn't until a recent visit to the breath-taking Sainte Chapelle, that I started to really appreciate the beauty of the stained glass windows that often fill these buildings. Not only are they ever-changing, responding to external light sources but they also embody intriguing stories often told through symbolic imagery and colour. It's a real shame that these beautiful historical works of art are becoming increasingly overlooked as modern society engages less with religion and this has inspired me to share them widely and celebrate their aesthetic value."

Shelley is an associate member of the Society of Graphic Fine Art which is highly regarded nationally for its excellence in drawing. She has exhibited her work in a range of galleries including in Bath, Bristol and London and she has a keen following on social media. Shelley is a loyal member of her local community and has supported a range of charities and other causes through her work.