Artist's Statement

At a very early age, passion for art was instilled in me and was a normal part of my life. My exuberant father, Antonio Mani, owned and directed the Columbus School of Art in Columbus, Georgia.   I grew up studying at his school and watching him paint.   Part of my studies included attending art museums and exhibits in this country and abroad.   I continued my studies at the Art Students League of New York and the Ringling School of Art in Sarasota, Fla. Although I've painted for fifty years, I am still learning and evolving.   Because art is constant, just as life, both are always revealing something new.  

Preferring to paint from life, or in "plein-aire", the open air, I find art my driving passion is larger than life.   Being greatly inspired by the American Impressionists, I also choose a variety of subject matter, landscapes, seascapes, interiors, figures, and portraiture.   The play of light and shadows generally draws me to a specific scene, often an every day spot that has gone unnoticed.   By exaggerating colors, using a rhythmic composition, broken brushwork or texture, I transform the ordinary into an interesting and exciting work of art.   My paintings capture the essence of the land, the mystery, a mood, an emotion, or perhaps only a dream.   Because the act of painting is paramount, I empty myself, become one with my surroundings, and allow the painting to emerge.