Launching an art career when you’re still at school is impressive and courageous in anyone’s sketchbook. For Ōtautahi Christchurch-based Ella Ward, it came so naturally she didn’t even recognise that was what she was doing at the time.
Even now, five years on, she’s reluctant to go with the ‘artist’ label.
“I would like to describe myself as an artist but I think an artist would be doing so much more than I am… but I guess I am. Sometimes I think I’m not doing enough to claim that,” Ella says, more humble than coy.
The 20-year-old is in the final year of a Bachelor of Design degree at Ara Institute of Canterbury. While painting is what she most loves to do, she has pursued graphic design and illustration because she figures there are more career opportunities down the design path.
20-year-old Ella Ward creates colourful art in her studio. Photo by Jim Huang.
“A lot of what I do is finding visual ways to communicate ideas. I love painting, it’s a passion of mine that I want to continue, but as a career I know that can be hard… and I have a passion for design, so I’m exploring that.”
And her course sounds truly inspiring: “I work with all sorts of media. For the latest study project I made paintings then scanned them into the computer and manipulated them onto furniture.”
Ella has always loved art. It was the one subject that got her excited at school and she excelled in it. She won The Painter’s Cup when she graduated from intermediate school. She was stoked! People liked her art! It gave her confidence and, further nurtured in the art room at Cashmere High School, she started submitting work to competitions and began to imagine herself as an artist. And when she was 16, something happened to turn the dream into reality: she was accepted into the Creators’ Room.
Ella explains: “The Creators’ Room (now called ArtStart) take in work by high school students – they select a few through a judging panel. They purchase works, exhibit them and make prints which you get commission off and the original, if that sells.
“The first year, two of mine were selected. That was a big starting point for me, going to the exhibition and seeing my works on the wall. And then they sold – woah!”
Ella Ward's art is vibrant and happy. Photo by Jim Huang.
Another significant milestone for Ella was winning a commission to paint a huge mural on a wall in the Princess Margaret Hospital earlier this year. Her colourful, uplifting style was deemed perfect for the child and youth mental health outpatient space, and it was an experience that resonated with her personal approach to art.
“What I want is for people to look at my art and feel happy, to feel joy. I want it to brighten up a space and to provoke emotions. Art for me is a happy escape and I would like it to be the happy escape for others as well.”
As Ella has had her own struggles with mental health, it was especially rewarding to create something for those attending the facility. “I am really proud of that work,” she says. “It is abstract but still reflects the idea of journey and growth. It’s lovely walking in there, seeing it and hearing how much the kids like it.”
On a practical level making the mural was challenging, as Ella had never painted anything bigger than A3 and had just four weeks, while studying, to finish the 3.6 x 2.4-metre work. “It was a chaotic time but I loved it and seeing the end result was so cool. I would love to do more murals.”
Ella Ward's furry studio companion. Photo by Jim Huang.
Whatever happens career-wise, it’s safe to say Ella will keep her paintbrushes close to hand. She’s enjoying exploring new media and learning new styles in the design course, but she’s still entering art competitions and submitting paintings for gallery exhibitions.
“I think I will soon shift to more of a design focus as I build a career, keeping painting on the side. But I’m set on eventually building up my skills so that one day I can just be making art.
“I don’t want to be confined, I want to be able to do anything – I want to experiment and explore.”
In a nutshell, she’s determined to be an artist and all the evidence indicates she already is one.
Story by Kathryn Webster, photos by Jim Huang for the Winter 2023 issue of AA Directions magazine.
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