Magical and Modern: Picking the Brain of Ryan Henry Ward

[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]R[/dropcap]yan Henry Ward is one of Seattle’s most prolific contemporary artists with a style that is whimsical and engaging. Signing each artwork with just the simple signature of “Henry,” this humble artist sat down with CULTURE to talk about his unique style, where he came from and what influences him to paint the way he does. With a major art installment at this year’s Sasquatch Festival and commissioned paintings all over the country, Henry brings a magical and modern style of art throughout Seattle and is able to awaken the imagination within every viewer.

While co-owning a landscaping/construction company with his brother in 2007, Henry was in a four-wheeler accident that left him unable to return to his work. In February 2008, he made the decision to switch to painting full time, though he has been creating art since childhood. “I started painting when I was 16, but I have been drawing since I could hold a pencil. My parents had a part of the house where they let us draw on the walls, so maybe it was from that—painting on walls was kind of natural,” he explained.

With a focus towards larger paintings that take up the entire sides of buildings, houses and venues, Henry also finds time to paint smaller pieces on more standard-sized canvases that are available at very reasonable prices. When asked about the cost of his artwork, Henry replied, “I have over 20 years of painting experience, so I can produce pretty quickly which allows me to keep my prices down for people. $250 for a pretty big painting is pretty affordable.” He added, “I really want people to be able to have my art, its more important to me than transitioning into the big dollar artist. I’d rather sell something for $250 to someone who really loves it instead of $10,000 dollars to someone who is just buying for a financial investment; I want to touch people’s lives.”

Growing up in rural Montana, Henry didn’t have much access to culture or history but was influenced by his everyday surroundings. “I didn’t have a lot of art influence other than Sunday morning cartoons and Looney Tunes and stuff that was on T.V.,” he said. “That is what I was kind of ingrained with, as far as art goes. At a pretty young age, I wanted to be a Sunday morning cartoonist.” His creative process is unique and instinctual, giving honest and imaginative compositions with every brushstroke. “My imagination works like a hallucination projector, I guess you might say,” Henry explains. “I visually see what’s there and then I just go in and do the work.”

Some of Henry’s art and prints that are for sale can be found hanging on the walls of The Way Station Cafe that is on the edge of Fremont and Ballard. Henry told CULTURE “It’s been kind of my homestead for the last five years, it’s where I meet people and sell work out of, and it’s really comfortable,” he said.

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