Artist: R. Ward Shipman
Medium: Acrylic
Dimensions: 24''x 48''

Bidding on this artwork will take place at the Live Auction event, Friday, April 5. Tickets available at the link at dvsa.ca. Absentee bids can also be placed in advance – request a form at the school office or email bid@dvsa.ca.

About This Piece
Brighter Days, acrylic on canvas, is a very personal piece. It evokes a time when I was young, barely 18 years old and my summer job was a beach guard. The City of Hamilton Recreation Dept deployed us to Confederation Park to ensure the safety of swimmers. We had a lifeguard hut and boat storage and we would run the boats across the sand in the morning and trudge them back slowly at the end of the shift. The painting depicts a wind-swept day on the job, although it is devoid of human presence. It's just perfect sky, water and memory.”

Biography
The art of Ward Shipman is romantically lyrical and masterfully crafted. It presents a beautiful use of colour palette similar to Pre-Raphaelite and Baroque paintings.

The artist’s drawings, paintings and photography reflect a deep understanding of classical art and history. Educated in Canada’s McMaster University, University of Toronto, and OCAD, Shipman had formal training from esteemed artists that included Alan J. Scott and George Wallace. After a successful career as a visual arts department head for the Hamilton Board of Education, he continues to teach drawing at Dundas Valley School of Art and Sheridan College.

A love of the southwestern Canadian landscape, his home for many years, is expressed in his numerous interpretative paintings. Conservations, waterfalls, mist-laden woods, and hills of Ontario are some of the artist’s favourite motifs. Frequently used imageries are of mirrored reflections in ponds and northern skies.