MEGAN ASHMAN GALLERY
EXPERIENCE ART AS MAGIC
ORIGINAL MIXED-MEDIA ARTWORK
Ocular Alchemy
Megan Ashman
380
PUBLISHED
SIZE
12x12
MEDIUM
Mixed media on canvas
COLLECTION
Elements & Seasons, People & Portraits, Emotion & Themes, Psychedelic & Surreal, Spirit & Dreams
SUBCOLLECTION
Winter, Spring, Portraits, Women, People, Ethereal & Divine, Hands & Eyes, Surreal
YEAR
✦
Secure Checkout
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Carefully Packaged
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Certificate of Authenticity
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Direct Studio Support
ABOUT THE WORK
Artwork Description
A mixed-media collage on a,. constructs a surreal anatomy of transformation. A central figure with a human body and a radiant, all-seeing eye for a head stands at the core — a fusion of perception and becoming. Around it orbit hands, eggs, moons, and planetary fragments; spores and cells bloom like galaxies forming in flesh. Women appear in fetal repose and prayer, their faces cut away or doubled, embodying cycles of creation, decay, and renewal. Ripped almanac pages, silver adornments, and lunar faces fracture the surface like sacred debris. Each element performs its own alchemical ritual — turning matter into awareness, and sight into being. Symbolic and Thematic Interpretation.
HOW IT WAS MADE
Materials & Process
mediums/materials: phosphorescent paints, found objects, paper, wax, photo collage, oxidative inks, distress paint and inks, acrylic pouring, digitally altered images, acrylic paint, watercolor, spray paint, walnut ink, staining mediums, tissue paper, mica powders, glitter, heavy gel medium, gesso, pebeo prism and fantasy paints, ceramic paint, stained glass paint, alcohol inks, iridescent inks, distress crayons, charcoal, pastels, oil pastels, string, beads, jewelry, gems, chains, buttons, foils, newspaper, vinyl, plastic, walnut inks, india ink, colorshift paints and more!
THE ARTIST'S VOICE
Interpretation / Story
Interpretation:
Ocular Alchemy examines the act of perception as both scientific and sacred — a transformation of matter into consciousness. The central eye symbolizes awareness witnessing its own birth. Organic and celestial imagery merge to reveal how creation and decay share the same pulse. The doubled and faceless women embody multiplicity of identity — the self dissolving, reforming, remembering. The presence of spores, eggs, and cells suggests an alchemical origin story, one that begins not in spirit but in biology. Silver, ice, and moons mirror the reflective nature of insight — cold, bright, and endlessly recursive. Ultimately, this piece envisions the universe as a living experiment in awareness: to see is to become.
“A dream in metamorphosis — shedding form, unfolding within the eye.”
WHAT LIVES INSIDE
Hidden Images & Symbolic Elements
Hidden Images & Symbolism:
Eye-headed woman — the alchemist of consciousness; vision as identity.
Five hands/arms — creation, touch, divine manipulation of form.
Egg yolks, mold, bacteria, spores, and cells — microscopic life as cosmic echo; genesis and decay intertwined.
Woman in fetal position — emergence and return; the eternal cycle of life folding into itself.
Praying woman with cut-out face — surrender of ego; devotion stripped of identity.
Veins and bodily fragments — life’s architecture laid bare; humanity as living map.
1947 almanac pages — human attempts to measure time against the unmeasurable.
Silver jewelry and ice — fragility of beauty; preserved memory within stillness.
Moons and lunar faces — cyclical awakening; reflection and fragmentation of the self.
Sphere of prior artworks / planet form — the artist’s own universe orbiting within the piece; self-creation as cosmos.
BEFORE YOU COLLECT
Framing & Shipping Notes
01
ORIGINAL ARTWORK
This is the one-of-a-kind original, hand-created by Megan Ashman. No prints or reproductions are sold as originals.
02
SHIPS CAREFULLY PACKAGED
Each work is packed with archival materials and shipped with care. Insurance and tracking are included with every order.
03
FRAMING
This work ships unframed. Framing advice is available on request — we can suggest dimensions that suit the piece and your display context.
04
QUESTIONS BEFORE PURCHASING
Collectors are warmly encouraged to contact the studio before purchasing. We welcome all questions about scale, display, and condition.
PRIVATE COLLECTOR SUPPORT
Need to see more before collecting?
Request additional images, ask about scale and display, or schedule a private studio visit.