Christine Lawley

The Lowry

The New Union, Manchester

Born in Salford in 1947, Christine Lawley has been drawing and painting since she was 11 years of age. In 1961 she attended the Manchester School of Art in an area where there was a wealth of industrial architecture. Although this subject matter immediately fascinated her, she appreciated that other people may not find these scenes beautiful in the way that she did, and this thought inhibited her from painting them at the time.

Following a period at a London Art School, Christine returned to her roots to undertake a post-graduate teaching certificate and she currently teaches art classes to teenagers at one of Manchester's city schools part-time. This allows her time to dedicate to her own painting. She was greatly inspired by the renowned Salford artist, Harold Riley, who instructed her at Saturday painting classes and it was he who subsequently encouraged her to paint the Manchester scenes which she loves so much.

Lawley's love of architecture, combined with her near-photographic eye for detail, results in vibrant, urban landscapes depicting the City's grandest buildings or revealing the decrepitude of buildings that developers have yet to reach, but which neverthless inspire her. Whether the artist is highlighting the intricacies of a carved doorway or portraying subtle reflections in old, forgotten windows, her watercolours capture the rich character of Manchester. And today, dynamic state-of-the-art architecture and new vistas are changing the face of the city, so providing her with fresh inspiration.

An established artist, Lawley work has had her work featured in 'Manchester Life' magazine amongst others. Four watercolours, depicting Canal Street, part of the 'Gay Village' area of central Manchester, have been published as limited edition prints and twelve of her paintings were collated for the Manchester Magic Calendar, in 2003. 2004 saw an exhibition in RIVA (the architects' bookshop) and in 2005 she staged a well-received exhibition 'Back to my Roots' at Salford Museum and Art Gallery, as an affectionate tribute to her home city. Lawley regularly undertakes commissions from both private collectors and corporate clients, especially property developers. Her work is highly sought after and hangs in numerous public and private collections throughout the UK.

Christine last exhibited works at the Blyth Gallery in 2004.

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Phone: The Blyth Gallery  0161 236 1004    Fax: 0161 228 0633    E-mail: gallery@artmanchester.com