Irma Ward
Irma Ward was born in St. Louis, Missouri but couldn’t wait to move to Texas and has been here 30+ years. After completing her bachelor's degree at the University of Texas at Arlington, she continued her education, both formally and informally, as she pursued her interest in the arts. Irma earned certification as a Fine Art Instructor from the Liliedahl School of Traditional Oil Painting and taught representational painting for many years.
Artist Statement
Even though I am known for representational and plein air paintings, in recent times I have developed a series of abstract paintings that makes a statement about color and shape or, rather, shapelessness. My paintings are not intended to represent familiar objects, but to draw interest with color and the interplay of shapes within in a larger atmosphere. Keeping in mind the elements of design that make a good painting, I am most interested in finding ways to make a limited color palette the "voice" of the painting. My inspiration comes from a variety of sources, some are concrete and some are from dreams. As for process, I think my process is best described in the following quote by Marc Chagall: "What I mean by 'abstract' is something which comes to life spontaneously through a gamut of contrasts, plastic at the same time as psychic, and pervades both the picture and the eye of the spectator with conceptions of new and unfamiliar elements."
