Michelle Ward

INSPIRED BY CITIES

Michelle Ward is inspired by cities and loves to travel. The unique architectural façades and teal waters of the canals in Venice, Italy, inspired her painting. She said, “I wanted to convey the façades of buildings along the Grand Canal in a representative manner, not literally. The collaged layers of windows are photocopies of photos from my own collection. The mooring posts play a significant role in bridging the buildings and the water. I began by selecting a palette that reminds me of visiting Venice. The warm palette represents how the buildings look at sunset, the cool colors represent the unusual water of the canals.

“Besides remarkable landmarks or scenery, I think the most important observation one can take away from visiting a location is the vibe or energy. How the place makes you feel and what kind of memories you are left with can influence the spirit of your work.”

Michelle Ward is a mixed-media artist, freelance graphic designer and workshop instructor who enjoys experimenting in different dimensional art forms but always returns to her favorite thing—working with paper and paint in journals. She is a columnist for Somerset Studio magazine; her work can be found in several books. She is a rubber stamp and stencil designer, operating Green Pepper Press from her home studio in New Jersey, where she lives with her husband and their three children. View more of Michelle's work at michelleward.typepad.com.

GRAND CANAL

Michelle Ward

Acrylic paint and gesso on Bristol paper, photocopied photos, stencils, pen

11" × 7" (28cm × 18cm)