Anya McManis
Denver, CO
Anya McManis is an award winning artist. Her mixed media paintings showcase a dynamic interplay of fluid and defined shapes, textures and multiple layers.
Message
Award winning artist, Anya McManis, has spent the past 25 years working in visual media of some sort, including commercial graphic design and web design. This work deepened her understanding of composition, layout and color and inspired her to delve into the world of fine art.
McManis’s work has been shown in numerous professional galleries, including at the Artwork Network Gallery and Niza Knoll Gallery in Denver’s Art District on Santa Fe. She had seven solo shows at the University of Denver from 2011-2019 and participated in numerous group shows, among others at the Aurora Municipal Center, in Aurora CO, the Tri-Lake Center for the Arts in Palmer Lake, CO, the R Gallery in Boulder, CO, the WATER FOR LIFE International Art Exhibition at the Niagara Falls History Museum in Canada, and the Florence Biennale in Florence, Italy.
From 2012 to 2013, McManis had her own gallery and studio in Olde Town Arvada, CO. Currently, she works out of her studio in Denver where she also teaches art classes. She’s a member of the Artworks Gallery @ the Streets of South Glenn, the Art Students League of Denver, and the Park Hill Art Club, Denver.
In addition to painting, McManis also runs her creative agency, AMCS Marketing.
Statement
Painting engages my brain and my heart and has become a way of communicating the unspoken or ineffable. You could say that I translate my feelings and experiences into colors and shapes. We’re all familiar with the expression “feeling blue” to express sadness for instance. To me, emotions and thoughts have a flavor, a color, and even a shape, and I want to reflect this in my work.
I draw inspiration from sources as diverse as symbols from ancient cultures, images of the cosmos, and nature. I approach each piece with an open mind, allowing the colors and shapes to evolve organically, responding intuitively to the marks and gestures on the surface.
Through a variety of techniques, I build up complex, multi-dimensional layers of ink and watercolor that create a dynamic interplay of fluid and defined shapes. The whole process feels like a meditation where I let my emotional response to the process guide me.
Ultimately, my work is a celebration of the beauty and complexity of our world, an invitation to look beyond the surface and engage with the deeper, more subtle aspects of the human experience.