Ward’s paintings focus on the surface of the canvas, built up through boldened, gestural marks. At first glance, the works are intended to capture attention like an ear to an unignorable tune. The sharp layered bold gestures draw to examine its surface more closely to discover the texture in the layers.

With a background in music, particularly drumming, Ward approaches visual art through a sense of rhythm and syncopation. For him, the process of creation is as important as, if not more important than, the final composition. He gives careful attention to each mark, returning to enlarge and refine the gestures. The time between these marks builds a history of their accumulative creation. This history of accumulative marks is enhanced as the paintings age, gaining patina, sun bleaching and surface cracking.

This approach is informed by his experience with stencil-making, which involves masking areas, tracing gestures with a blade, and applying bold colour across the masked off surface. The absence of a clearly defined subject allows for open interpretation, enabling viewers to project their own meanings onto the work.

As a Canadian living in the North Pacific, Ward intends for his paintings to evoke the surrounding landscape filled with sharp mountains, lush rainforests, and deep waters, alongside bustling cities and communities.