Autumn's Golden Gown (2022) Painting by Richard Ward

It was always my dream to wake up each day, not having the dread of strolling through the minefield, of my work. The consistent stress and pressure creating a crisis, in my mental health.

Prior to 2020, I worked in a number of roles. my early life serving in H M Forces, as a gunner in the Royal Artillery. In later years I gained an honours degree in business administration and marketing, followed by many years working in the financial services industry. 

In 2020, I decided to escape the shackles of the corporate rat race and finally pursue my dream of becoming a full-time artist.

Although previously I had drawn and painted from an early age, with having no formal training or qualification in art, I spent countless hours practicing my technique, using different mediums and techniques.

My core belief being it is the most important quality, of having a love and passion for art and the pleasure it gives to an individual, "what may be rubbish to an art collector may be priceless to someone else" 

I support the rationale of this argument using the example of art by Pablo Picasso (1881 to 1973) with his cubist art whereby, objects are analysed, broken up and reassembled in an abstracted form, instead of depicting objects from a single viewpoint. The artist depicts the subject from a multitude of viewpoints to represent the subject in a greater context. Whereby some would criticize the work, cubism has been considered the most influential art movement of the 20th century. 

My philosophy is that all in their lifetime, should create and share one piece of art however bad to the world. In doing so, even if only one soul is uplifted and inspired, it too then becomes a masterpiece. 

In the words of Bert Kwouk, (The Water margin 1973) " Do not despise the snake who has no horns, for who to know it might become a dragon. And so, one just man might become an army".

To the academics, who consider that to succeed as an artist, one must have a degree from a university of fine distinction, I translate the above quote " do not despise the artist, who has no qualifications, for who to know they might become a master.  And so just one artist might become a movement"  

Inspiration by the work of Vincent Van Gogh (1853 to 1890). 

In his life, he was considered a mad man and a failure, and his work was not commercially successful. He struggled with severe depression and poverty, which eventually led to him committing suicide at age thirty-seven. Sadly, he didn't have access to the help I received, which had it been so, he may have lived to witness how great his work was.

An artistic journey is like an Oak tree it has many branches and shoots.

Other branches of my journey include

Pierre Soulages (1919 to 2022) using only black, to capture the light.

Modern Japanese artist, Yuko Kurihara (1976 to present) her focus on pinpointing bright colours.

As of yet there are many branches to clamber on my climb up the tree, I hope we meet on that journey.

• Nationality: UNITED KINGDOM
• Date of birth : 1956
• Artistic domains: Works by professional artists,
• Groups: Professional Artist Contemporary British Artists