Michael at Bud Rips

About the Work

This has been one of my favorite paintings, however, due to its size, I feel like it is often overlooked. It has never been accepted into a show. The subject also adores this painting, but has not publicly shared it because of the cigarettes. I feel this painting deserves more love. There is something special about catching a moment on a good night.

About the Artist

Ash Gaude is a portrait artist currently located in New Orleans, Louisiana. After years of moving around the United States and living in the Caribbean, her artwork has found a focus on a person’s individuality. Gaude paints to reflect her subject’s unique experiences and personal emotions, while also demonstrating how that subject reflects herself. Many of her subjects are her close friends who share similar experiences of being a struggling young New Orleanian while also embracing the city. Gaude often displays this in acrylic or oil, and more often than not painting the full body as if the subject was life sized. Gaude received the Tolmas Scholars Grant in 2019 from the University of New Orleans and currently has a full assistantship with the University of New Orleans.