Graphic designer David Ashton founded two creative agencies, rescued a 19th-century farmhouse from ruin, and, through his work designing Oriole Park at Camden Yards, helped make baseball parks timeless again. In this feature, organized as a “scene” with Ashton and his daughter, Paris, we interviewed the 83-year-old alumnus of Virginia Commonwealth University about what he’s learned from a lifetime of making beautiful things, from his work with “I Love New York” creator Milton Glaser to his loving restoration of Gentle Farm, his bucolic home outside Shrewsbury, Pa. Through anecdotes and life lessons, Ashton reveals an unwavering artistic philosophy, formed by a Quaker upbringing and a love of history and everyday beauty: Keep it simple, keep it appropriate, think about how everything fits together, and trust your first idea. The resulting profile, according to one reader, provides “a real sense of the man and his passion.”
From the Judges
A fantastic story told from a unique point of view. The writing has personality and intimacy and gets to the soul of design.
