Ward Schell: Dark Forests

“Undercover,” 2017 acrylic on canvas, 48″ x 36″

Saskatchewan artist Ward Schell is on exhibit at Slate Fine Art in Regina with new forest works in his signature tangled undergrowth style. The paintings have a dark edge, a symptom of his battle with worsening Multiple Sclerosis that has affected his ability to paint.

“Forest Bridge,” 2017 acrylic on canvas, 24″ x 60″

In an interview with Galleries West, Schell describes putting his ingenuity to work to make sure he can continue to paint.

“Forest Fur,” 2017 acrylic on canvas, 30″ x 40″

Due to the poor grip in his left wrist, Schell wears a brace meant for people with carpal tunnel syndrome, holding his brush in place by inserting it through a hole in the brace. A cord tied to the brace runs up to a suspended pulley. He can now direct his hand across the canvas simply by pulling the cord with his right hand. “I’m like my own puppeteer,” he told Galleries West.

“Moss and Lichen,” 2017 acrylic on canvas, 38″ x 38″

Ward Schell at Slate Fine Art, here.

His biography, here.

Article on Galleries West, here.