Kathryn Manry grew up near the Rocky Mountains of Alberta and now lives on Quadra Island on the BC coast. She studied painting and art history at the University of Calgary and Queens University, and subsequently attended Banff School of Fine Arts. As well as painting, Kathryn spent a number of years working in clay. Her current focus is on painting, working primarily in oil and acrylic.
A love of the outdoors has been a touchstone in all of Kathryn’s work. A keen hiker, paddler and skier, her inspirations are found along the trail and from her kayak. Her attention to the changing dynamics of environmental conditions provides challenging material for Kathryn’s paintings. Images of water currently occupy much of her studio time - check out the Water Series. Images of birds turn up in her work as well - particularly the big black ones, which offer wonderful compositional elements as well as enormous character dynamics to play with in designing a painting, .
A love of the outdoors has been a touchstone in all of Kathryn’s work. A keen hiker, paddler and skier, her inspirations are found along the trail and from her kayak. Her attention to the changing dynamics of environmental conditions provides challenging material for Kathryn’s paintings. Images of water currently occupy much of her studio time - check out the Water Series. Images of birds turn up in her work as well - particularly the big black ones, which offer wonderful compositional elements as well as enormous character dynamics to play with in designing a painting, .
“My work in the Water Series examines the moods and character of water, and the multitude of visual patterns it presents through reflections, ripples or waves. In my paintings I depict the effects we witness on our many lakes and the Pacific Ocean – the sense of rhythm and movement, the glance of light on the surface, the patterns and colours that convey the inherent qualities of the water that surrounds us. They capture both the universal dynamic we all recognize from time spent near the shore or on a boat, as well as the ethereal moment that occurs under unique environmental conditions. I want my paintings to resonate with the pleasure we take in noticing these marvelous patterns in nature and to give us a chance to take a second look at a fleeting moment that we recognize in our mind’s eye.”