Ashley Witzgall is a self-taught multidisciplinary artist and arts educator based in the Jersey Shore area, best known for her emotionally driven work often described as abstract emotional portraiture. Her practice explores human emotion without confinement, blending intuition, movement, and layered expression across watercolor, acrylic, mixed media, and digital design.

Ashley holds a B.A. in Performing Arts Management from the University of Hartford’s Hartt School of Music and a Certificate in Project Management from Cornell University. She began her creative career in the music industry as a graphic artist specializing in marketing, production, and CD design—a foundation that continues to inform her work in visual storytelling, branding, and design today.

In 2011, following the loss of her brother, Matthew Witzgall, Ashley deepened her focus on fine art and found her voice through watercolor, using art as both expression and healing. Over the past decade, her work has been exhibited in galleries throughout New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.

Alongside her studio practice, Ashley is a deeply community-driven educator with extensive leadership experience. She has served as an Assistant Director of a private art school and as a Camp Director for the Girl Scouts, developing and overseeing inclusive, community-based arts programming. In 2025, she was nominated for the Phenomenal Women Under 40 Award by Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore, recognizing her impact through education, leadership, and community engagement.
She teaches students ranging from preschoolers through seniors, including individuals with special needs, and integrates STEM concepts into creative curricula.

Ashley teaches far beyond watercolor—offering instruction in everything from pinch pots and foundational drawing to acrylic painting, graphic design, and mixed-media experimentation. She develops her own original art curriculum and believes in accessible, process-driven education that empowers creativity, perseverance, and personal voice.

Her dedication to education, environmental awareness, and community engagement has earned her multiple awards recognizing her impact through art. Ashley continues to teach private lessons, workshops, and seminars throughout the region.

Her work has been featured in Soup Can Magazine (Issues #14 and #20) and is currently on display at Union Market & Gallery in Tuckerton, NJ for January – March 2026.

TikTok: @ArtistFromtheBlackLagoon
Instagram @ArtistFromtheBlackLagoon
Facebook: Facebook.com/AshleyWitzgallart

LinkedIn: www.LinkedIn.com/in/AshleyWitzgall

Memorial Portrait
of Matthew Witzgall
11/24/1989 – 02/03/2011

Colored Pencil on Vellum