Mark Ward

Mark Ward was born and educated in Solihull, Warwickshire. He studied at Manchester School of Art, graduating in 1971 with a BA (hons) in Product Design, and worked as a product designer in Birmingham for two years. He then spent two years in Kenya, teaching a range of subjects and helping to build a school. On his return to Britain he trained as an art teacher and taught art in Essex for many years. Around 1995 he moved to Halesworth in Suffolk, drawn there by the abundance of birds, the year-round music at Aldeburgh Festival and Snape Maltings, and the beauty of the coast. He left teaching in 2003, built a studio, and has painted full time since.

His paintings all relate to the natural world, and most are developed from experiences of landscapes and creatures locally or in more exotic climes. Just as East Anglian artists from Gainsborough to Grayson Perry have used found and perceived low art materials, so Mark interprets nature. In his Suffolk studio he constructs stage sets out of paper, string, clay and all sorts of rescued items. These are closely observed and painted in acrylic, and the sets are lit to create drama and to emphasise the nature of the construction materials.

He has exhibited in London, New York, Italy, Scotland and across England and this year he is an exhibitor at the RWA.