H Ward Sterett was born October 7, 1954 in Chicago, Illinois, raised in Glen Ellyn and Rockford and currently lives in Roscoe, Illinois. His career includes award winning drawings, paintings, prints and sculptures. Ward considers himself primarily self-taught although he received a BFA from the University of Colorado, Boulder, CO and an MFA from Northern Illinois University, Dekalb, Illinois.
His work is in the faux-naive style allowing him to work spontaneously without regard to convention, restricted by a specific artistic tradition. His inspiration is derived from personal experience, his Christian faith, politics, literature and nature. The artists he most emulates are regionalists in the style of Grant Wood, Thomas Hart Benton and Joseph Yoakum.
Pen and Ink is his preferred medium and his professors have described his drawings as masterfully done with exceptional balance between black and white, texture and shadow. His drawings portray subjects in compulsive detail with an emphasis on design.
Early in his career…
Ward travelled extensively around Europe and spent time in Huemoz, Switzerland studying the application of Christianity to the arts under the tutelage of Francis Schaeffer and other members of the L’Abri Fellowship. His influences include Schaeffer, art historian Hans Rookmaaker, literature professor Gene Edward Veith and British novelist and scholar C S Lewis. The Christian allegory, “Pilgrims Regress” penned by C S Lewis was the inspiration of a seven drawing series illustrating the philosophical journey of a boy as he travels through a land with people and places symbolizing spiritual virtues and schools of thought. The series transcends naive illustration including personal and fanciful elements.
Sterett has also worked many years as a stained glass artisan along side Frank Houtkamp, Houtkamp Glass Studio, master printer of stone lithographs under direction of Roland Poska and as Art Director/Illustrator for “Chronicles” a magazine of American Culture.
Ward currently works independently in all mediums in which he has mastered.
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Unique Works
Looking for something truly unique? H Ward Sterett is available for commissioned pieces, crafting one-of-a-kind artworks that cater to your individual vision. Whether it’s a personalized sculpture, a custom painting, or a bespoke stained glass piece, the opportunity to own something specially made by the artist himself is just an inquiry away.
GOAL
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