We were honoured to have contemporary artist Giles Ward and his lovely wife Julie pay us a visit to hand deliver a selection of his fantastic marine life prints and originals. After a tour of the newly refurbished gallery, which he highly approved of , and a spot of lunch it was time to talk art… His passion was evident and infectious and the support from his wife was both encouraging and heart-warming.
We had been eyeing out his work for a while but were taken aback by the incredible texture and depth he has managed to create in his originals (extremely hard to capture in a photo or view online) We were initially drawn to his process but it was his genuine passion that ultimately sealed the deal for us and we are extremely excited to have his work on our gallery walls!
We got to know Giles a bit more after some quick fire and light-hearted questions, we hope you enjoy his answers as well has his incredible works of art scattered throughout the gallery and the cafe as well as on our website...
Tea or Coffee?
Coffee! Freshly ground beans, stove pot. Too much tea as a child growing up in a Yorkshire family.
Sweet or Savoury?
Savoury – a starter over a dessert every time.
Are you a messy or tidy artist?
Messy when painting – that’s when the surprises happen on the canvas. Splash it everywhere, but good at tidying away the brushes.
Do you listen to music whilst painting?
Yes, quite an eclectic range – anything from Philip Glass to Kraftwerk, though different tempos can reflect in the stages of a work. Sometimes you need the energy of something meaty to get you going!
What is your favourite fish/sea creature to paint?
Part of the fun is discovering new and unusual subjects to paint. I do enjoy a good crustacean! I’ve painted a few spider crabs recently and they really are incredible creatures. Great to eat too. I tend to source the fish, photograph them, then work from those images. I would love to find a hermit crab to photograph. Some shoreline walks are going to be needed!
On average, how many hours do you spend on each piece?
So difficult to say – it varies incredibly. There has to be ‘wasted time’ for experimentation and failure.
What are you working on at the moment?
I like working on several pieces at once – especially as I build up layers over time and they need time to dry and evolve. I have found some wonderful herring to work from recently though. They will make up a very large piece of three herring on a large dish. Large paintings give me the room to ‘play’ and experiment more – I can throw more paint!
What can we expect from you in the future?
I am fascinated with the close-up detail to be found in lots of areas of the natural world. It is only because sea life is such a rich subject that I am still in this world, but I am exploring more and more the natural world on land. I love bugs, insects even foliage textures. The work needs to keep evolving.
Is there anything people may know about you? A hidden talent, interesting hobby, perhaps a bucket list?
Not sure about talent – but I certainly enjoy exploring all facets of creativity. I am a big fan of what creativity can do to help wellbeing and mindfulness. I also write a lot. I have had a couple of novels published and I am a big fan of writing short stories. Although the fish have got in the way recently!