meet challenge admin - Trish Ward

Trish Ward

1. Your name, location
Patricia Ward
Inner West, Sydney

2. Describe your family
I am in a house of boys, my husband, my son and my dog, we are a small, loud little unit. I feel very blessed to have a family that is understanding of my artistic pursuits.

Week 11 2014: ARCHITECTURE by Patricia Ward

3. Describe your work
Alot of my themes are derived from memories of things I imagined as a child. At present I am in love with notions of whimsy, some of it a little dark, some light. I am interested in bursts of colour and the use of negative space within imagery.

As long as I can remember I have wanted to do a deck of cards, but I am terrible at finishing things I start, so this, being my second year in the challenge I decided to embark on doing that deck of cards. A years project, 52 weeks… 52 cards in a deck. It’s been so much fun -  most of the time…
My favourite medium is ink, followed closely by coloured pencil, and I work mostly on paper.

Week 22 2015 CHILDHOOD by Patricia Ward

4. What is your career goal?
I run my own business doing titles design and animation of art. I truly love titles design and I truly love illustration. My career goal is to incorporate as much illustration as possible into my motion graphics and titles work… and to illustrate books… and to make art wherever and whenever possible.

5. Describe your art background. 
After school I went to uni and did a BA in design, majoring in photomedia. Whilst at uni I worked part time in a 2D animation studio. On completion of my degree I had a short stint in fashion photography where I discovered that I am just not very fashionable, so thought about my passions at the time, and they were art, photography and music.

I was fortunate enough to end up working in a design studio in the music industry, designing cd covers for about 5 years. I got to draw, photograph and design typography for things that I loved, but I found myself needing a little more. I wanted to see type and artworks move, so I started my own business doing titles design and animation. Most clients were mostly music industry so it was music videos, and street magazine covers mostly to start with. I then went into partnership with a man (who is now my husband) and we moved into television titles design and production.

I lost my way with illustration for a VERY long time though. It had become the thing that you want to do but never had time for. Life was rolling on and I really drew mabe once or twice a year – IF THAT.

Then a friend asked me if I wanted to do the challenge with her. There were under a hundred members back then and I thought about all of the time had been sitting in front of the tv at night  after my son was in bed, and thought about what I could have done with that time, so I said yes.

Week 28 2015: WINTER by Patricia Ward

6. What do you love about the Challenge?
At first I threw myself into the challenge with gusto and loved it, but at about the third month I started to struggle. I was working at A2 size and using gold leaf. The pieces were massive and I just couldn’t keep up.

I struggled with knowing who I was stylistically and really found the challenge, well challenging.
I saw all of the amazing work being produced and felt insecure, I couldn’t keep up, I really thought I wanted to illustrate children’s books, but my style wasn’t very children’s book-ish, so I started to change my style and content to try and please - and it all went down hill from there. I got even more lost, stopped producing challenge pieces, and really, nearly gave up on making artwork again.

I was still watching the challenge but worried about participating again. SO before committing to the to the second year, I thought about the things I loved about drawing, and my favourite mediums and remembered the desire to make a card deck, and a light came on.
I made the decision to work smaller, and I could see the deck as a whole project, which gave me the incentive to commit to the challenge again, so I did, and this year has been a blast.

Now it’s challenging in a different way, but I have loved every up and down because it has bought me to a place where I am happy with my relationship with my art. I love the positivity from the many members and the relationships I have built.

I’m having fun and that’s what this was supposed to be about in the very first place. I look forward to finishing my deck, it’s a personal project but so wonderful to be able to share the journey in such a supportive environment.

Deck of cards that Trish is creating using this year's themes

7. Tell us something that we don’t know about you
When I was very little my Aunty would come pick me up and we would take cans of pet food around the streets and feed any strays that we found… I’m still not sure what my mum and dad thought we were doing.


Follow Trish online:
Website: patriciaward.com.au

Business website: silo6.com.au

Facebook page: www.facebook.com/patriciawardsydney

Instagram: https://instagram.com/trishwardart/

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/patricia1586/

Promote:
Most recent music video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUps0FL4s3o

Items for sale: 
Wooden prints : A limited edition of 50.
$60.00 plus postage and handling.
Please message me if you are interested.

Week 9 2014: Trees by Patricia Ward