Western artist Gary Ward expresses himself in a variety of ways.
Story by Holly Clanahan for The American Quarter Horse Journal
In the American Quarter Horse world, it’s not uncommon to find stories that are a little more complex than first meets the eye. You might have, for instance, a performance halter horse that also excelled on the racetrack. Or a rider who has found success in two very different disciplines. Or even a Western artist who is populating Amarillo, Texas, with a herd of custom-painted fiberglass horses but who also has a rich history in the more traditional media of oil, pastels and bronze.
Let’s start toward the beginning of Gary Ward’s story, as he was growing up in Canyon, Texas, just south of Amarillo, influenced osmotically by his parents, Jackie, a teacher, and Jim, a jack of all trades who had been a ranch manager, cowboy, rodeo clown and a staff artist and designer for what was then The Quarter Horse Journal, among other things, before settling into life as a full-time artist. Watching his dad’s trajectory, a young Gary asked his parents for his own “arter,” his childish name for an easel.
Jim Ward was as versatile as the Quarter Horses he loved, working in oil, pastels, pencil, watercolor and bronze, even owning his own foundry for a while. “He was a very well-rounded artist,” Gary says. His works graced the covers of several Journals, and Jim was happy to help his son develop his own talents.
“When I was about 20, he bought me a set of pastels and enrolled me in a workshop with Ben Kornis, who was in Amarillo,” Gary says. Ben was an internationally known artist and teacher. “Of course, my dad was right here, and we’d always compare notes and critique each other’s paintings. He was a very good artist, and I greatly respected everything he did.”
As Gary realized how difficult it was for a new artist to make a living, he split the difference between his parents’ occupations and got a degree in art education. He taught at the elementary and junior high level for several years, all while painting in the classroom–something his administrators loved, as it set a good example for the students–and attaining his master’s degree in computer art.
Life was plenty busy for Gary and his wife, Lisa, who were raising two children, Seth and Ellie, and time sailed by, with Gary working as a computer graphics teacher at Canyon High School and Lisa working as the local postmaster. “My dad and I went to a lot of art shows together,” Gary says. There was never any competition between the two; “We were always just happy for each other if either one of us did any good.”
One of those joint ventures was the art show at the Texas Cowboy Reunion in Stamford, Texas, which Gary has continued to attend after his dad’s death in 2012. He is a regular at other shows around the country, as well, including the Western Spirit Show at the Cheyenne (Wyoming) Frontier Days Old West Museum, the Mountain Oyster Club show in Tucson, Arizona, and the Phippen Western Art Show in Prescott, Arizona.
Gary, now 66, retired from teaching in 2015 when he turned 55.
As you might guess, western subject matter is Gary’s love, whether it’s the Longhorn cattle he grew up with, depictions of pioneer women, western wildlife or the horses and cowboys that he knows so well. What might be a little more unexpected is how his other skillsets influence his art. Utilizing his computer savvy, he might take a reference photo and tweak the composition or colors in Photoshop to get a more painterly image. Using the skills he learned at his dad’s foundry, Gary makes the molds for his sculptures and sends them off to a foundry in Arlington, Texas, for rough casting. On their return as bronzes, he says, “I’ll do all the finishing on them myself.”
Gary’s graphic design skills again came into play when he and several partners created Gold Buckle Printing to produce rodeo back numbers in leather, felt or vinyl for rodeos such as Cheyenne, Fort Worth, San Antonio, Denver and more.
“When we started (over three years ago), I did all the production work on it, since I was the computer guy and able to do the design,” Gary says. Now, other employees handle the hands-on work, but Gary still goes into the office every day.
Bob Lindsey, who has known Gary since childhood, describes him as a modern Western artist, talented and versatile. Bob and his family own pieces done by both Gary and his father. “His dad was a very good artist,” Bob says, “and I think Gary is better than his dad.” He cherishes a commissioned piece that Gary did of Bob’s wife, Diane.
But Bob has more to say about his old friend. “I tell you, in his personal life, he’s even more versatile. He’s a lay pastor at our church, and that guy works harder than anybody I know. He’s the one that finished out the inside of our church. He cooks a meal every Wednesday night, along with doing a Bible study every Wednesday night, and then doing stuff at the church the rest of the time….He and Lisa are some of the finest people you’ll ever meet.”
Bob’s referring to the Palo Duro Cowboy Church, named for the country’s second-largest canyon, located just outside the city of Canyon, and Gary confirms that church is an important part of his family’s life.
“We’re highly involved with everything,” Gary says. “That’s really the highlight or the main point of our lives.” The church also includes a large mural done by Gary, set in Palo Duro Canyon, with a cowboy on a white horse representing Jesus upon his return. The way Gary sees it, his faith and his career in art are interconnected.
“I’m trying to share a God-given talent,” he says, “and he has blessed me on it.”
Fellow Western artist David Godfrey of Midlothian, Texas, agrees. “It's just a God-given talent. You can learn it, but most of the ones that are really proficient and really good at it, it's a God-given gift,” he says. “You perfect your craft through repetition and learning and advancing your skills, but I think it has to start with a gift.”
David met Gary at an art show in Wichita Falls, Texas, about a dozen years ago, and they both became members of the Western Artists Roundup, a small group of artist friends who host an annual art show to honor and uphold the western traditions.
“Gary is a solid, good Western artist. His subject matter's always appealing, and he does good work. He does excellent bronzes, excellent oil painting and excellent pastels,” David says. “He's a contemporary Western artist.”
If you look up the definition of contemporary art, you’ll find that it includes a variety of methods and forms. We’ve already talked about Gary working with clay, paper and canvas, but another of his calling cards are the life-size fiberglass horses that dot the city of Amarillo. Hoof Prints of the American Quarter Horse is a public art project of Center City Amarillo, with AQHA as its title sponsor. Local businesses can sponsor a horse to be displayed on their property, working with an artist to come up with an eye-catching and memorable design. There are about 130 horses on display throughout the city.
Both Gary and Jim were among the first artists when the project started in 2002.
“My first one was in front of the Civic Center, called ‘Starry Nightmare.’ It was a Palo Duro scene with Van Gogh’s ‘Starry Night’ in the background,” Gary says. Center City estimates that Gary has done more than 50 original designs, and he now is the go-to guy when horses need to be repainted after being out in the elements.
“This is 23 years in that I’ve been painting horses for them, and it just continues to grow,” Gary says. “It’s amazing. Since I’ve retired, I’ve been busier than I ever have in my life.”
Some businesses simply want their logo on the horse, while others allow much more artistic freedom. Either way, Gary designs the horse using Photoshop and allows the business to make any desired changes. He uses vinyl wraps to do logos. Gary was called on recently when AQHA decided to refresh the horse outside its international headquarters with a life-sized version of the Best Remuda Breyer horse, commemorating the Association’s 85th anniversary. (See the January-February Journal for the full story on this model horse.) Its metallic silver base coat calls to mind a horse-show trophy, and its body is dotted with brands from AQHA Best Remuda Award-winning ranches. It stands guard at the Association’s front doors. Chanette McKibben is Center City’s administrative assistant and event coordinator who manages the Hoof Prints project, and she actually knew Gary from when she was in high school and he was teaching.
“It’s always a pleasure to meet him at the end of a project to see what he has created. It makes me smile to see him pull up in his old Ford pickup with a ‘horse’ in the bed,” Chanette says. Though many other artists have also contributed to Hoof Prints,
“Gary has had a huge impact on the success of the continuation of the project. I think it’s pretty great that he has another medium to showcase his artwork, along with his bronze work and canvas paintings. I love to see him continue his dad’s legacy of sharing award-winning Western art with us locally and in the Western art world. I feel honored that we have him as part of our community. He’s definitely a Panhandle treasure.”
Gary’s honored, too, that he’s able to make a living with his art, no matter what form it takes.
“I’m just working along,” he says, “trying to just be a better artist all the time.”
The American Quarter Horse Journal is the official membership magazine of the American Quarter Horse Association. Check out the other great member benefits. Sign-up now at www.aqha.com/membership-form.
This article originally appeared on American Quarter Horse News and is published here with permission.
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