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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.
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 Art Students League of Denver and the Park Hill Art Club, Denver.
In addition to painting, McManis also runs her creative agency, AMCS Marketing.
Park Hill Fall Arts Festival
Sep 30 & Oct 1, 2023
Castle Rock Art Fest
September 9 & 10, 2023 | 1st Place Mixed Media
Affordable Arts Festival
August 27, 2023
Smash Fine Arts Festival Cherry Creek
August 12 & 12, 2023
Fort Collins Art Festival
August 5 & 6, 2023
Silverthorne Arts Festival
July 14 – 16, 2023
Park Hill Arts Festival Denver
June 3 & 4, 2023
Fine Arts & Crafts Festival Estes Park
September 17-18, 2022
Castle Rock Art Fest
September 10-11, 2022
Boulder Fine Art Street Festival at Twenty Ninth Street
July 30 – 31, 2022
Affordable Arts Festival
On the Campus of Arapahoe Community College
August 28, 2022
R Gallery – Boulder
February 23 – March 27, 2022
40 West Arts – Colorado Mills Mall
February 1 – June 4, 2022
Vail Arts Festival
June 18 – 20, 2021
Colorado Women’s College | University of Denver
SOLO SHOW
August 2 – September 27, 2019
Tri-Lakes Center for the Arts
Palmer Lake, CO
June 22 – August 23, 2019
WATER WISE
Aurora Municipal Center
April 1 – May 31, 2019
Colorado Women’s College | University of Denver
SOLO SHOW
November 5 – November 30, 2018
Tri-Lakes Center for the Arts
Palmer Lake, CO
June 23 – August 25, 2018
WATER FOR LIFE International Art Exhibition
Niagara Falls History Museum – Canada
May 12 – September 8, 2018
Colorado Women’s College | University of Denver
SOLO SHOW
February 1 – March 31, 2016
Anti Defamation League
Denver, CO | April 19, 2016
Colorado Women’s College | University of Denver
SOLO SHOW
June 1 – July 31, 2015
The Mix @ Niza Knoll Gallery
May 1, 2014 – December 31, 2015
Denver, Colorado
The Savoy
Denver, CO
April 12, 2014 – April 19, 2014
One: En Masse
Denver, CO
April 4, 2014 – May 31, 2014
Kingman Estates Winery | Denver, Colorado
September 18 – May 31, 2014
Colorado Women’s College | University of Denver
SOLO SHOW
June 4 – July 31, 2013
Spellbound Art
Arvada, Colorado
March 2012 – June 2013
Colorado Women’s College | University of Denver
SOLO SHOW
June 1 – July 31, 2011
Florence Biennale
Florence, Italy
December 3 – 10, 2011
Artwork Network
Santa Fe Art District, Denver, Colorado
May 2010
Vitahl Spa
SOLO SHOW
Cherry Creek North – Denver, Colorado
July 2010
Gallery Cuvee
Santa Fe Art District, Denver, Colorado
January – August 2008
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