Gregory Manchess
For those of you who are near New York City, I’m having a small show of my work.
A selection of paintings will be hanging in the Members Gallery at the Society of Illustrators, opening February 1st. There will be about seven large paintings up, bridging the gap between mainstream illustration, science fiction, and fantasy work.
It has been a long, arduous road working between science fiction and mainstream illustration. It was difficult to make a mark in either part of the field, but the subjects are intriguing and my interests are quite diverse. I think this selection will highlight some of the pieces I had so much fun producing for a variety of assignments.
The Society of Illustrators is every illustrator’s home away from home. Shows constantly revolve through the newly refurbished main galleries, embracing all aspects and genres of illustration. Spectrum has held two retrospectives there, as well as numerous Art Out Loud events, and lectures. Each annual show is a must-see for every aspiring illustrator, and classic paintings from every decade for the last one hundred years continually grace the hallways and restaurant walls.
The Members Gallery is the most intimate of exhibit space at the Society, sitting directly across from the historic and quaint bar, overhung by one of Rockwell’s greatest pieces, The Dover Coach.
It’s always a chance to get up close and personal with many of my heroes’ work. I’m constantly coming away with new inspiration on each visit. It’s an honor to hang there and I hope you can come by during the month. And let me know what you think.
For those of you who aren’t near NYC, below is a visual list of the paintings in the show.
Members Gallery at the Society of Illustrators, 128 East 63rd Street, btw Lexington & Park. February 1st through February 26th.
It's also worth mentioning that Greg's show will coincide with the Annual Book and Advertising Exhibit, one of the largest and most important shows that the Society holds each year. A great chance to see both at once.
Definitely worth seeing! I was lucky enough to see a few of these in person already, however getting another chance will be fantastic. Looking forward to see you guys that weekend 🙂
Wow… How exciting! Congratulations to you Greg for your show as I'm certain to be a fantastic success… Beautiful style you have…. I'm jealous!! Best of Luck!
Wish i were there, but unfortunately Brazil is not very close from there….
We'll have you there in spirit, Carlos! And any others from around the world. Wish we could all meet and discuss painting.
Thanks, Dan: the show will be up for the Book & Editorial Show (opening Feb. 3rd) but will come down before the next opening, Advertising & Institutional (Mar. 4th). However, the painting, “Above The Timberline” (first image above) will be in that next show, too.
Awesome stuff!
must see.
they are great, but “Night Crossing” is magic!
MY trip to NY is not until October so I will miss all of the SI stuff and now this. Seeing the mountains outside my studio windows is great but if you're a young illustrator get near a big city and NY would be a great choice. Man you can paint Greg.
GORGEOUS paintings. I can't wait to see these in person, Greg!
I love the last one. So much implied story there.
Why is that kind of ship so far north? Especially one that appears to be flying the Spanish Empire flag. And what are those guys going ashore to get?
Mysterious….
I like it!
Can't WAIT!
Those are some of my favorite paintings of yours, Greg. Particularly the landscapes. I'm sorry I'll miss this. 🙁
Love them! The painting with the ship especially..
Hmm, the ship. So far North… or South? Patagonia maybe?
One wonders indeed at the backstory and what's yet to come.
And crossing the Alps with war elephants was nothing, pack-bears are the thing. 🙂
Sorry that I'll miss the exibition (Italy is a bit too far), but thank you for posting these pieces for us.
Thanks for sharing your work online, and congratulations on your show. The Grand Canyon piece reminds me of Rungius, and your approach to painting seems to come from that era– N. C, Saul Tepper, Schoonover, etc. What is it about those painters who straddled the 19th and 20th centuries that is so inspiring and satisfying? Maybe it's their ability to dramatize the stories they illustrate not only with staging, characterization and lighting, but also with the action of the paint itself.
Greg, Are you gonna have any sort of opening reception (like Donato did) where I can drink wine and make bad jokes about your work?
Greg, your work continues to be an inspiration. A big thanks to posting the visual catalog for those of us who won't be able to make it to the city.
I have to say “Rabbit Run” is great in it's simplicity. Can't wait to see it.
Thanks, everyone! Y'all are too damn kind. But I'll eat these comments up for a long time.
About that ship…it's actually a depiction of Magellan heading into the Strait that later bore his name. An amazing feat. The little guys in the boat are about to scout ahead so the ship could get through. The crows nest was manned, and if you look carefully, a sailor has a cannon port open on the starboard side. He's actually tasting the water to check for it's salt content. By doing this, they could find where the main current lead through the strait.
Not far north….far SOUTH. There are icebergs in the strait! That's amazing, too.
gorgonopsid: I find different eras of painting become more interesting as our history changes. What we feel today will shift into tomorrow, and we'll be intrigued by a host of other things. Different music, different visuals, different foods. Not new, just different.
But hot dang, those golden age guys were just so damn honest with their paint!
Scott: I'm thinking of an impromptu gathering near the closing of the show. Will keep folks posted on that…