Marney Ward 

Marney has been interested in perception, consciousness and creativity for most of her life. In the seventies, she earned a PhD from the University of British Columbia on the art and poetry of William Blake. Her Blake-inspired interest in consciousness led her to study with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in Europe, and then to devote a decade to teaching Transcendental Meditation. In the early nineties, with her youngest child in school, she decided to revisit her first passion, art. From classes in Chinese Brush Painting she learned practical techniques of brushwork and how to take advantage of the peculiar challenges and magical properties of water. From her lifelong mentor Emily Carr, she was inspired to express the living spirit within everything she paints.

Marney studied with watercolour artists Caren Heine, Ann Hunter, Sheena Lott,  Brent Heighton, Kiff Holland, Allan Bruce, Elizabeth Kincaid, and many others. She learned from each but went on to develop her own unique style: large, vibrant, often back-lit close-ups that reveal not only the minute particulars of each flower but also her own emotional and spiritual connection to that flower. Marney has taught watercolour classes for over 15 years, previously through Camosun College and Artworld, and currently through her own home teaching studio.

In 2000, Marney was granted Associate Signature Status, AFCA, with the Federation of Canadian Artists (FCA). In 2011, she was granted Senior Signature Status, SFCA, the highest ranking possible with the Federation of Canadian Artists. Marney is a Past President of the Victoria Chapter of the FCA and has served as juror for several shows on Vancouver Island. She has won 18 awards in various juried exhibitions in Victoria and Vancouver, most recently in the FCA-sponsored Annual International Representational Show 2012 (AIRS) in Vancouver. Marney has twice been featured in International Artist (April/May 2009 and October/November 2011) and her paintings have graced the front cover of Focus (July 2008) and Art Avenue (May/June 2011) magazines. She is featured in three books published in 2011: Artists of British Columbia Volume III, Coastal Moments, and The Island Illustrators Society. Marney is represented by Winchester Galleries in Victoria, BC, Canada, where she has had two major solo exhibitions, in 2008 and 2010 (See video below). She also shows at The Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, the world-renowned Butchart Gardens, and Federation Gallery in Vancouver, BC.

Refection:  Artwork of Marney looks interest, she use lots of light colours and work from photography. I have find her painting interest because the way she used light in her flowers painting and the most important part that is she use watercolours and creating her painting beautifully. Some of Marney painting are closer and it looks great because we can see the line on the flowers.