Annamaria Ward

www.annamariaward.com

[annamariaward]

Happy sons day to my son

[annamariaward]

!!!!! i have been following you for what feels like forever now and ive lived in fairfax county my whole life and so your latest post made me so excited !!!! i left the school system in 2017 but it is rlly neat to know someone as awesome as you is apart of something that was so much of my life

i rlly hope you enjoy working there and get to do lots of things that help you feel fulfilled : D

Omg wow. Your message just made my day. Thank you for following me for so long!! I can’t believe it. I wasn’t sure if I should ever post here because I feel like most people have left but I LOVE LOVE TUMBLR and wish to see it revived. I’ve loved my new role so far. I hope you are currently doing something you love!! May you have a great week!!!

[annamariaward]

🎉 New Year, New Adventures! 🌟I'm thrilled to finally share that, back in November 2023, I embarked on a new professional chapter as a Digital Graphic Designer with one of the largest school systems in the country: Fairfax County Public Schools' in their Information Technology Department.

I’m so excited my new skills support a variety of projects, including professional development, user experience, websites, illustration projects and other IT initiatives that contribute to the success of FCPS’s most important people: students!

My passion for children's media is no secret, so it's a dream come true to utilize my love for visual storytelling and digital landscapes in a way that impacts future generations along with the teachers and staff that support their journeys.

I'm grateful to join the talented team at the Fairfax County Public Schools' IT Department, where everyone I've met so far is incredibly smart and creative. I’m most impressed by the desire of my coworkers to keep learning, keep innovating and to share their wealth of knowledge.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who's been a part of my journey as a creative so far. Here's to a new year filled with creativity, growth, and making a meaningful difference! 

[annamariaward]

💚💚Last Friday marked a bittersweet farewell to my time with the incredible team at Collider. It feels surreal to have wrapped up my journey as a graphic designer there so soon after only being there for a year, yet life's unforeseen changes presented me with a new opportunity I couldn't pass up - for which I'm thankful.

Reflecting on this past year, it’s been nothing short of amazing crafting together editorial images for articles discussing our favorite movies and TV shows.

A heartfelt thank you to the managing editor, my design colleagues, all the amazing editors, and writers for your patience, kindness, and stellar communication which made each image I worked on a smooth and extremely fun process!

This role has easily become a cherished experience, and while I'm excited for what's ahead, Collider will always hold a place in my heart.

[annamariaward]

Fan art of my kindergarten teacher from when I lived in India, Ms. Murphy, based on how I remember her. She was always sweet, planned the best activities, and I'm pretty sure she gave the warmest hugs. While sketching, I came across a photo of her and noticed that I drew her a bit heavier than she actually was. However, I believe it's essential to remain true to my childhood perception of her. Perhaps I depicted her that way because she embodied such a soft, caring, and motherly essence. Teachers often become our caretakers, especially during our formative years, influencing our lives as profoundly as our parents. I'm thinking of creating a series drawing all the teachers I recall. Sadly, I don't remember my preschool or third-grade teachers, so they won't be included. 

[annamariaward]

Felix, my cat, wants to help me with everything. He's very serious about it—laundry, mail, cleaning, HE HAS TO BE INVOLVED! He's so observant; I'm pretty sure he's memorizing how I do everything in case he's in charge and has to do it himself one day.

[annamariaward]

Husband and his Nintendo switch ❤️💙

[annamariaward]

Daisy decided her twin Maizy was no longer allowed to have cute curls like hers.

[annamariaward]

Castle Cat

[annamariaward]

Found some old doodles smushed between the seats while cleaning the back of my car and fighting off mosquitos. These are all Elvis inspired.

[annamariaward]

A sleepy, floofy moment. This painting study features my cat, Felix, snoozing on my bed — a place where he's not supposed to be. But I occasionally give in and let him. The painting is based on a photo I took in January 2021.

[annamariaward]

Made a lil painting study of a photo I took at an intersection near where I live. It's fascinating how a shift in light can transform the ordinary, like this warehouse building I usually pass without a second glance, into something magical.

[annamariaward]

My cat Felix and his extraordinary wool cat bed! Before my husband's grandmother passed away, she lived with us and shared a unique bond with Felix. He was completely fascinated by the wool lining of her slippers, often burying his face into them. She would always indulge him and then one day, she had a brilliant idea - to get him a cat bed made from the same material.

So, when Christmas came around, we searched high and low, and finally found a perfect 100% sheep wool cat bed from an artisan on Etsy, all the way in Lithuania (KivikisHandmade). Felix was obsessed with it immediately, he almost couldn't wait for the package to be opened. He was so happy to have a woolen interior to call his own.

Today, he still adores his wool cat bed cave. However, we can't keep it out all the time as our other cat, Fiona, seems hell-bent on shredding it!

The illustration is based on a photo I took of him using it for the first time in 2020.

[annamariaward]

Life threw me a curveball when I fell sick for most of May, so I poured all my creative juices into my day job and some freelance projects. When June rolled in, I almost forgot how much I LOVE making art just for me! 😅

So, here's my mini-comeback (I often disappear from social media, so can we call it a real comeback?) - a photo study of my sister. It's way less intimidating to paint from a photo that I took myself, so I can sidestep any stress over design choices and still learn something new! 😌

Felt good to paint!

[annamariaward]

Bringing science to life! Proud to share that I had the opportunity to illustrate the cover art of the PhysicsQuest 2022 workbook featuring six inspiring scientists: Kate McAlpine, Caprice Phillips, Dr. Jocelyn Bell Burnell, Deborah Berebichez, and Dr. Sylvester James Gates. The interactive workbook is now on the American Physical Society's website https://bit.ly/3D7YC7J. It's for middle school students and educators, with teacher guides that include detailed implementation notes and fillable PDFs. Thank you so much to APS for trusting me with illustrating these amazing scientists for the cover! See the other covers I've made for APS on my portfolio website: https://www.annamariaward.com/projects/physicsquest

[annamariaward]

My first painting of 2023 is complete! I'm redesigning my portfolio website so I can more easily share the various design and illustration projects I work on! www.AnnamariaWard.com This piece illustrates a character version of myself with my two cats, Felix and Fiona, along with my handy dandy Cintiq 22 and all my favorite mugs. It was made for the about page of my website and is currently live on that page. This painting also serves as a study of the original J.C. Leyendecker 1934 Artists and Animals painting.

[annamariaward]

I am slowly working on building a portfolio website I love! I designed this character of myself as the mascot of my brand who will serve as the guide of my work. My website is built in webflow and designed in Adobe XD/ Photoshop.

www.AnnamariaWard.com