Meet Anna
Abstract artist, painter, glass sculptor, creative facilitator, arts advocate.
THE JOURNEY
Anna Ward is an abstract artist based on the Gold Coast, Australia. With a lifelong passion for art, she holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts, a Diploma in Teaching, and a Master of Art Therapy. Anna’s creative journey is shaped by over two decades of study, international experience, and a deep exploration of spiritual and wellbeing practices.
Her work is a fusion of embodied learning and intuitive creativity, expressed through large, layered paintings. Anna’s process is deeply somatic—each piece evolves from her own physical sensations, with expressive mark-making and spontaneous movement capturing her inner experience on the canvas.
For Anna, art is a transformative tool for emotional expression, where intangible feelings are alchemized into visual form. She believes that a work of art is truly complete when it evokes a sense of soothing, insight, or personal shift, aligning the mind, body, and soul.
Her visual language spans a wide spectrum—from minimalist monochromes to vibrant colour fields and delicate glass sculptures. Anna is also returning to her love of glass art and looks forward to sharing this new chapter of her creative journey.
Embracing Creativity and Self-Expression
As an intuitive artist and facilitator, Anna understands that the journey of creativity and self-expression can evoke both excitement and vulnerability. The process of exploring one's unique expression often brings us face to face with an inner critic that can be so fierce it paralyses us and derails our momentum.
Overcoming Inner Critic with Gentle Guidance
With gentle guidance in a supportive environment, Anna encourages individuals to recognise the stories or beliefs that keep them stuck. She provides the opportunity to review or replace these with a more compassionate approach, helping to dismantle the barriers created by self-doubt and fear.
Spreading Positive Impact through Compassion
Anna believes that insights gained from self-compassion and curiosity can extend beyond personal growth, positively impacting home, community, and work culture. By releasing creative blocks, individuals can live a rich life filled with artistic flow, self-expression, resilience, and enhanced problem-solving capacity.
Art Therapy Gold Coast
Founder of Art Therapy Gold Coast in 2016, Anna Ward specialises in the mental health space helping those with a lived experience of trauma, physical and psychosocial disability, facilitating one-on-one sessions from her Robina studio. Art Therapy must be conducted by an ANZACATA registered art therapist and combines psychotherapeutic tools with creative expression to assist people with anxiety, depression, conflict, trauma or mental health diagnosis.
Currently Anna works primarily with NDIS clients, as well as frequently volunteering her time to support charities and at-risk-youth.
Please note that Anna Ward Arts is a site for those in the community who would like to learn an expressive, abstract artist technique. If you or someone you know are seeking professional Art Therapy support, find out more here.
