Rick Manners Stone Shop Wildlife Art Studio



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General Information

A gentle kind man with a sunny disposition, Rick Manners is one of Canada's finest wildlife artists. If you are lucky you may find him working away in the historic Stone Shop (circa 1800). There are no set hours, so when you see the open sign, lights on, and a vehicle beside the building, he's there. When you step into his eclectic nature studio, his friendly voice will call out from the back; this is where the magic happens. Rick says his artistic ability was a gift he had since day one."I can visualize things from the original idea, right through to the final piece of art." He uses traditional artist's canvas, but also paints stones, feathers and other items. He has even painted 144 porcelain tiles with the Washington Redskins logo to outfit the bottom of a pool.



Manners' start as an artist came while he was in the advertising business in Toronto. While living in the big city, it was ironically a book by Katherine McKeever, who runs the nearby Vineland based Owl Foundation, that transformed his drawings from advertising cartoons to wildlife art. On a lunch break one day in 1983, he took a trip down Yonge Street and fell in love with the book A Family for Minerva, penned by McKeever in 1980. "For some reason I got back to my office, sat down at my desk and sketched an owl", said Manners. "I decided I would love to do this. I handed in my keys and here I am today".



But how did Rick end up in small-town Grimsby? He describes it as one of many "forks in the road." "We were coming along Highway 8 during a visit to my father-in-law. As we passed the Stone Shop, I just slammed on the brakes and knew that this is where I wanted my studio to be. That's how fate happens."



More often than not, Rick is out volunteering for a local charity. He contributes much of his time and efforts into making money for non-profit groups in the community. He said one of his mandates is to give back to the community, whether it through the Kinsmen Club of Grimsby, Grimsby Auxiliary Marine Rescue Unit, West Lincoln Memorial Hospital, Grimsby Benevolent Fund, the Fergie Jenkins Foundation, or any of many others. "We live in a great community. and I proud to be able to give back and lend my time and talents in some way", said Manners, who is a past recipient of the Citizen of the Year award in Grimsby.



Founder of RaptorFest in 1996, Rick Manners has been running the Raptor Art Contest all these years. In 2009, the Raptor Writing Contest was a brand new initiative.

Gallery Photos


Cultural

Rick continues to transform the library at Nelles Public School into a glimpse back into the time of the Neutral Indians - his single biggest project in his 25 year career and something he describes as the "the legacy" he will leave behind.

Historical

"Allen Nixon built this little blacksmith shop of coarse rubble around 1800. During the War of 1812, British and American forces had their horses shod and equipment repaired here. This building was used as Grimsby's first museum from 1963 to 1983." - extracted from 'A Tour of Grimsby's Designated Heritage Sites'

Further Information

Grimsby Heritage Advisory Committee (GHAC). A Tour of Grimsby's Designated Heritage Sites. Brochure available online, or at the following three locations. Call ahead for hours and availability:

http://www.tourismniagara.com/gateway_niagara.html - - "Gateway Niagara Information Centre"

http://www.grimsbyhistoricalsociety.com/ - - "Grimsby Historical Society" located at the Carnegie Commons Building 25 Adelaide Street. They can be reached by phone or for a visit on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8:30 am to 12 noon, or by appointment. (905) 309-0796 Grimsby Historical Society website:

http://www.town.grimsby.on.ca/Maps/town-of-grimsby.html - - "Town of Grimsby municipal office"
at 160 Livingston Avenue, open from 8:30 am - 4:30 pm (905) 945-9634 Available in a pamphlet rack located across from the receptionist's desk.


District School Board of Niagara. History of Nelles Public School. http://www.dsbn.edu.on.ca/Schools/Nelles/about.html


http://www.niagarathisweek.com/news/article/187819--it-s-all-about-the-birds-at-annual-raptorfest. Niagara This Week. April 16, 2008


http://www.jefs.com/flowers/ - - "Jordan's Country Garden"


Rilstone, Michael T. Beautiful Niagara. 2007 page B-8

Vander Wier, Marcel. The Dandy Dozen.http://www.niagarathisweek.com/news/article/190409--the-dandy-dozen Niagara This Week. January 23, 2009

Ownership & Management

Rick Manners

Contact

Phone: (905) 309-0386

Address

Rick Manners - Stone Shop, Wildlife Art Studio 269 Main Street West
Grimsby, Ontario
L3M 1S5

GPS Co-ordinates

Latitude: 43.19361945020
Longitude: -79.58289882340
UTM easting: 615143.00
UTM northing: 4783291.00

Map

Administration

Stone Shop, Wildlife Art Studio
271 Main Street West
Grimsby, Ontario
L3M 1S5
Tel (905) 309-0386
Email rickmanners@live.ca


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