Ashley Cantero

Tampa, FL

Fairgrounds St. Pete Project

Drive-In, foam blocks, balsa wood, foam core board, spray foam, felt, fabric, resin and paint
Swamp Motel, foam blocks, balsa wood, foam core board, spray foam, felt, fabric, resin and paint
Ashley created a pair of dioramas for FLORIDARAMA that celebrate the mystery and aesthetics of Fairgrounds St Pete. Drive-in features a Twistee Treat, a retro style sign and a drive-in movie theater on the hill and Swamp Motel is a swamp-like setting with a lurking alien creature, a hungry alligator, a retro motel and a honeymooning couple. Discussing FLORIDARAMA, Ashley says, “I haven’t built a diorama since elementary school, so this project has taken me a little out of my comfort zone as an artist and has forced me to think outside the box…or within the box in this case! As someone who typically draws and paints, it has been really fun and challenging to take a design and build it.”

One of Ashley’s two FLORIDARAMAS, *Drive-In*: a vignette featuring rolling hills, a mid-century modern marquee and the iconic Florida-staple, Twistee Treat.

A couple enjoys a romantic picnic under the stars… and under the glare of a JellyFish Girl from Outer Space in Ashley’s second FLORIDARAMA, *Swamp Motel*.

Bio

Ashley Cantero is a Tampa native and local artist who actively engages the local art scene. She has participated in many art shows and has murals in the Tampa area. Since her childhood, art has been a huge part of Ashley’s life and it continues to be. Her work is very much inspired by female forms, retro charm and the supernatural. She describes her work as dark, intricate, sensual and, at times, humorous. Ashley’s favorite way to create is at home with a cup of coffee, headphones, some lit candles and her dog Carmella.

https://ashleycantero.com/
instagram.com/ashleycantero/

7 Questions with FLORIDARAMA Artist Ashley Cantero on the Fairgrounds St. Pete blog