Mick Manning

MICK MANNING divides his time between the Scottish Borders and Sweden, with his partner, the artist Brita Granström, and their four sons. He grew up in Haworth, Yorkshire, home of the Brontë family, and graduated from the Royal College of Art where his teachers included Quentin Blake.

From 1990, he ran the illustration course at Glasgow School of Art but now concentrates on his own work — painting, printmaking and illustration. He takes much of his subject matter from his local surroundings and the wildlife he experiences. Recent work incorporates vintage maps and collage.

The prints he makes are pochoirs (‘push-wahs'). Pochoirs are basically stencil prints. Each image is individually made by the artist’s hand using stipple application and hand-cut stencils; a technique that dates back to the Stone Age. Random variations from print to print are intrinsic to the work. Mick describes each as ‘slightly and gloriously different’, hence the term variable edition.

As well as paintings, Mick and Brita are well known for their children books. They have been collaborating together, sharing both illustration and text, for over twenty years. Their critically acclaimed picture books mix words and images in all sorts of inventive and delightful ways and appeal to all ages. They have won numerous awards since their first book together won the Smarties Silver Prize in 1996.