About the Artist
Marney Ward SFCA
Marney Ward is renowned for her large glowing floral watercolours. She is particularly interested in the way translucent leaves and petals transform light and create complex shadow patterns. Watercolour is the perfect medium for her large floral close-ups, with its spontaneous flowing qualities and its clear, transparent colour that allows the light of the paper to shine through. Marney has also been experimenting with the unique edges and textures that can be achieved with granulating pigments. But the predominant feature of her work remains the tangible presence of light.
After an Honours BA in Fine Arts and English, Marney was awarded a Canada Council Doctoral Fellowship to complete her PhD on the art and poetry of William Blake (UBC). Marney taught English at the University of Western Ontario and then taught Transcendental Meditation in Vancouver and Victoria, before embracing a career as an artist. Since the early nineties she has taken classes and workshops in Chinese Brush Painting and with many watercolour artists including Caren Heine, Ann Hunter, Alan Bruce SFCA, Sheena Lott, Brent Heighton SFCA, Kiff Holland SFCA, and Elizabeth Kincaid. In her work she strives to capture the essential spirit of the various flowers she paints, as well as the “minute particulars” which make each flower unique.
Marney is a signature member of the Federation of Canadian Artists, receiving her AFCA status in 2000 and her SFCA status in 2011. She was President of their Victoria chapter for three years, and has participated in every Victoria Chapter exhibition since she became an active member in 1994, as well as many Federation Gallery exhibitions. She has received 17 awards in juried FCA shows and has been on the jury panel for several FCA shows on Vancouver Island. Other juried exhibitions include Sooke Fine Arts, Sidney Fine Arts, Look, BC Festival of the Arts, and the NorthWest Watercolor Society in Seattle. Marney has taught watercolour classes for 15 years, previously through Camosun College and Artworld, and currently through her home studio in Victoria.
Marney has participated in several Summer Exhibitions at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, as well as twelve of their famous Moss Street Paint-Ins, and was a featured artist in an invitational exhibition at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria during their big Art in Bloom event in March/April 2011. Past solo exhibitions include a two-person exhibition with Sherry Mitchell SFCA at Goward House as well as two solo shows at Saanich Municipal Hall. Most recently (2008, 2010) she hosted two major solo exhibitions at the prestigious Winchester Galleries in Oak Bay and downtown Victoria.
Marney was the front cover artist of Art Avenue, May/June 2011, the front cover artist of Focus magazine in July 2008, the back cover artist of Art Avenue, Sept./Oct.2007, and was featured in Boulevard, July/August 2008. She was a full-page Featured Finalist twice in International Artist, in their Still Life and Florals Competition, Oct/Nov 2011 and in their Flowers and Gardens Competition, April/May 2009. Marney is represented by Federation Gallery in Vancouver and The Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, Butchart Gardens, and Winchester Galleries in Victoria.
Email: marneyward@shaw.ca Gallery website: www.winchestergalleriesltd.com www.YouTube.com: Search Marney Ward for a video of her opening reception at Winchester Galleries, July 2010
Gallery Representation
- Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, Art Rentals
- The Butchart Gardens, Saanich, BC, Coffee Shop and Gift Shop
- Federation Gallery, Vancouver
- Winchester Galleries, Victoria
Education
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