Jim Manley, ARUA

Jim Manley was born in St Helens, Lancashire. Resident in Co Down since 1971.

He has exhibited extensively at home and abroad over 3 decades throughout Ireland, London, Oxford, Liverpool, Edinburgh and Rockcliffe.

Awards include:
1979 McGonigal Prize, Oireachtas.
1984 Patrons Prize, EVA
1997 Landscape Prize, RUA
1997 Elmwood Gallery, Smallworks
1999 Painting Prize, IONTAS

Works purchased by Public collections include:-
Conrad Hotel; Ulster Television; Stormont Castle, Belfast; Abbot Hall, Kendal;
The Walker Gallery, Liverpool; Bank of Ireland, Dublin; AIB International;
Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

Jim’s works have a strong environmental message they are inseparable from their place in the world and from his relationship as a painter to his environment. His shorelines take on a complexity far removed from the natural place we have all experienced. Bottles and rubber gloves are painted analogously with birds and fish and the non-biodegradable indestructibility of man's most recent technological confusion is set against the beauty of Gods creations.

In Jim’s words “Drawing makes you look at things”. He has a very large number of drawing books and always carries one with him for “shorthand notes. I draw from life.” I wait for ideas. I’ll think about something for a couple of weeks and do some drawings. I work on groups of three or four paintings at a time. They take a long time to dry and I don’t want to overload the surfaces so that they become opaque. As a result I tend to work around the same set of ideas at any particular time.

“I don’t like to be in control all the time, but you can’t let a picture go on its own”

“I prefer subdued colours, so I’m pleased when it doesn’t dry out so strongly.”

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