Eileen Ward's winning Christmas card design
This is the atmospheric Christmas card, painted by Cranleigh resident Eileen Ward, which won first prize in a national competition.
The image will now be reproduced on a set of cards to be distributed around the country.
The picture, depicting a Christmas candle, poinsettia and bottle with two glasses of red wine, took Mrs Ward just three hours to paint in acrylics. She entered it into a competition staged by Retirement Villages Ltd to design a card to be available for staff, suppliers and residents to buy and send.
“I was very surprised to win,” said Mrs Ward, who is now 85 and lives at Elmbridge Village, Cranleigh in Surrey. “I’ve been painting all my life but this is the first time I’ve won anything since I was a school girl.”
Mrs Ward has had a lifelong passion for art and enjoyed a career making soft furnishings. At the age of 40 she finally realised her childhood dream and went to Epsom School of Art.
“I’ve always been involved in creating things,” said Mrs Ward. “I have sold some of my paintings in the past but now I just paint for fun, mainly using oils.”
Mrs Ward is involved with the painting group which meets each Thursday at Elmbridge Village, an age-exclusive village, and always produces her own Christmas cards.
“I really enjoy the thought and time that goes into sending a personal message,” said Mrs Ward. “It’s lovely to think even more people will see my picture this year.”
Retirement Villages Ltd will be presenting Mrs Ward with a Christmas hamper as her first prize.
Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/
