A portrait artist, Wingard specializes in the use of pastels on specially-softened paper. Often he will paint portraits that are larger than life-size and will embellish parts of the portraits with a thin layer of gold leaf, and encase them in intricate black frames of his own design. Using pastels, wood, and gold in constructing the likeness of his subjects, Wingard is most interested in presenting the spiritual aspects of art in his works.
Titled “Preciousness,” his exhibit at Bluefield College is a reference to what he calls “the uniqueness of each individual.” A resident of Sterling, Virginia, Wingard holds a master of fine arts degree from the University of Georgia. He did his undergraduate work at Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia.
Wingard has mounted solo shows and been part of group exhibitions throughout the southeastern United States. From 2006-2009 he was the associate director of the Latin America Study Abroad Program at the University of Georgia. In that role, he managed and taught drawing and painting in programs for Cuba, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and the Galapagos Islands.
His approach to his pastels was the subject of a feature story in a national publication, The Pastel Journal, in December 2010. He also has been featured in the publication New American Paintings.