Jim McManus is a graduate of Penn State with a B.A. in Painting.
After college, Jim worked in architectural offices in Chicago and on Tortola in The British Virgin Islands where he and his family lived for many years.
An appreciation for Art and Design was instilled in Jim early on by his father, Gene McManus, an Interior and Retail Designer. Jim has continued to develop a love for design and painting. The natural environment plays a key role in his works.
You will find that Jim has a designer’s eye when it comes to the way he plans and constructs his paintings. There is an architectural element to his drawing and use of color and collage. Jim’s collection of island works portray the “Island Lifestyle”. These works invoke happy memories of a visual paradise. Each piece gives the viewer a glimpse into the “weekend” life in the islands. If you enjoy the Caribbean, family, food, friends, and blue ocean, these paintings will keep a space warm for you.
On the other hand, Jim is also largely inspired by the Upper Delaware River areas of Northeastern Pennsylvania and New York. The river, lakes, and scenery show a “northern paradise” depicted in Jim’s work. His family has been a part of this area since the 1800’s.
Additionally, Jim is well versed in computer aided design and has worked on various graphic design projects for local organizations.
Jim’s work has been written about by the author Kelly McMasters in her series of essays Notes from a Bookshop in The Paris Review online.
Jim’s work was featured in the article, “COLLAGE MEETS PAINTING, NEAR AN OCEAN BREEZE“, by Edward M. Gómez in the May 2022 issue of brutjournal magazine.
Jim’s work is in many private collections and is widely shown across the island of Tortola. He is currently represented on Tortola by Jillian Dunlop of Old Customs House in Road Town.
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