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.