JOHN WARD was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1948. In 1965 he started his career at Ireland's Ardmore Studios, working as a scenery artist during the filming of the First World War epic “The Blue Max”. He went on to work for the theatre in Dublin and for a number of commercial art studios before emigrating to Canada in 1969.

Upon arrival in Toronto he worked briefly as an illustrator, freelancing for most of Canada's major magazines, before quitting in 1974 to paint full-time. In 1975 he exhibited with The New York Illustrators Society.

In 1993 “Courage to Create”, a documentary about the evolution of his work, was broadcast in Canada on CBC TV. The film outlines the transition from the “urban” subject matter of the 1970's to his nature-based paintings. Since the late 1980's his paintings reflect what he calls “Entering Nature”. He lives in the countryside north of Toronto. ( For more information Click Here.)

Autumn, 1992, acrylic on canvas, 140 x 305 cm

“As I went further into the cellular structure of leaves, I realized that my subject matter ultimately became a vehicle for light, colour, and the mystery that surrounds us, and not a study of botany. I will go where it takes me.” - John Ward.


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