Enough of a good thing!

You can never have enough Scott Ward Art!


This photo is not of a gallery or a boutique. It's not even my studio. This is the bedroom in the home of a client and friend.
For the past several years, Craig Martin has been collecting my art. At this point, I believe he has sixteen pieces. Some are original oil paintings and others are prints on canvas. He has been very supportive and encouraging as you can see.
I have several clients owning collections of my art. In most cases (of what I know), they hang throughout the house - in different rooms, on different walls. I had to capture a photo of Craig's wall because it cracked me up. "It makes me so happy to wake up to this" Craig told me. This in return makes me very happy. "I also love falling asleep to it" he expressed.
Now, I'm not necessarily promoting that everyone collect my artwork (though that's not such a terrible idea). What I do want to promote is the practice of surrounding yourself with things that make you happy. Having an entire wall or roomful of happy-inducing pieces can make you, well, happy.

What is it that brings joy to you? What inspires you to be good, happy, uplifted? Are you surrounded with enough of it?

If you need any suggestions, I can help you out with it!

Be good,
Scott

Home, family, fun and pigs

This is my latest commissioned painting. It was purchased as a birthday gift for a wife from her husband.

It was a fun and easy process. After learning that family, home, fun and pigs made the wife happy, I came up with a couple of ideas.

This is the one she chose.

Their three kids are in characteristic costumes. They are subtly placed and all center around home. Two little pigs sit in the shade of the tree in the back.

I liked the idea of a living post for the birdhouse to represent the idea of growth and change and life.

And, it is no surprise, there are words hidden in there somewhere!

Be good,
Scott

Easter Lilies

The white lily has been a symbol for Easter since the Middle Ages.
I would imagine it is a rare Christian church that does not decorate with
Easter lilies on Easter Sunday.

In the past, we have had lilies near and on our altar table.
This year I wanted to use the Easter lily as a more integral part of the congregations experience. Initially, I thought about hanging potted lilies along the sanctuary arches over the congregation. However this brought its own set of problems -
how to hang them, maintain them, and give them attractive pots
(the metallic-sheet covered plastic pots are not so pretty).
I also felt that they weren't going to have the effect I was hoping for, close but not quite.

I wanted more drama.

Then it hit me. I wanted each flower to be big, really big. I set about designing 3-foot high Easter Lilies. Working with paper I cut and glued, painted and stapled, folded and sewed, tore and taped. After a few prototypes I ended up with something resembling a kirigami design.
(origami with cutting)

Each lily is one piece of paper cut and folded, then secured with hidden tape and staples. Though labor intensive for my team of 4 the result was fresh and new and Easter-y.

The best comment I heard was "I am convinced that I could actually smell them."

Happy Easter!
Be good,
Scott