Three pieces of art that I own from Grant

 Artist Shreds Limitations

By Grant Manier

He is one of the country’s most exciting emerging young artists with state and national accolades. Even more amazing, he’s done it all with a diagnosis that most would consider a disability, but he considers it an ABILITLY.

In an often-misunderstood world of autism, Grant Manier (pronounced maun-yay), a special needs advocate and one of the most intriguing and captivating young Eco-impressionists of today stands out. His story is an amazing example of how a complex disorder can grant some of the most amazing gifts; a combination of a window of imagination and an autistic mind that allows him to create stunning collage masterpieces using thousands of pieces of torn/cut shaped and textured paper from recycled calendars, magazines, posters, puzzles and more. He spends upward to 20 hours a week on his “eco-impressionist” pieces. From an owl made using movie posters to dolphins crafted with applesauce lids. Manier is breaking the mold and changing perceptions, whether an admirer or owner of an Eco-original or print, people love his art, his story, and what he stands for, “HOPE”.

Grant Manier has been recognized by the United State Congress, the Texas State Senate, the Texas Governor, the Mayor of Houston and the Austin Rodeo as Grand Champion in the Eco-Art division, as well as many other honorable and deserved awards.

Manier, in just a few short years from the age of 15, created a business that started as a home school project, and has now established himself as an awarding winning Eco-artist.

Grant currently attends FOCUS Academy Houston, a private school for "quirky" kids (ADHD, Aspergers and gifted students). The class structure at Focus allows him to attend classes 3-4 times a week and complete the rest of the coursework at home or on the road, via computer, when he is traveling to art shows or interviews. Focus has been a big factor in Grant's business success while attending High School.

An Early Love for Paper

By the age of 3, Manier showed an extreme fascination and passion for paper: writing, coloring, drawing and tearing. However, in the same breath, he was also exhibiting signs of extreme anxiety, social challenges, and obsessions (lining up toys, repetitive TV talk). By the age of 5, he was diagnosed with autism. Grant's mother enrolled him into a private school (Westview School, Houston, Texas) for kids with autism until the age of 8.

At 9, Grant started public school, struggling academically, and being bullied (Grade 3-5). Manier’s anxieties overwhelmed him and his ability to focus on tasks were disappearing, even his love for art. Realizing that mainstream schooling was not working for Grant, his mother decided that homeschooling was the next best option. Once at home she encouraged Grant's strengths and insisted that he rediscover his love of art by adding it into the homeschool curriculum. Manier started to incorporate paper art as a coping technique for his anxieties.

At the age of 14, Manier created his first eco-art masterpiece “The SUN GOD,” shaped using over 4000 pieces of cut and torn recycled magazines, calendars, and craft paper onto canvas. The art piece at first glance appeared to be a painting, but it was not. Grant's mother was naïve to the art world, but knew a little something about business. After meeting with art appraisers and telling them Grant’s story, she learned that what she would have otherwise sold for $100, is now insured for $7500.

Shredding with a Purpose

Manier is not your typical artist. He took a compulsive habit, ripping paper, and turned it into something magical. Collaging is an “OLD” form of art, but now is a “NEW” art movement thanks to eco-friendly times and Eco-artists like Grant Manier.

Grant sees a medium that can be brought to life through hours of work, intense focus abilities, and remarkable patience. He follows the same method for every art piece: a brush, recycle materials, tear, cut, glue, shade, glaze and repeat. The paper is expertly applied to canvas by the hands of a genius. “I never know how each one will turn out. I just keep going and see what happens, “stay-in-action, is just one of my mottos,” Grant says.

Grant Manier finds inspiration and ideas from nature, animals, academic subjects, friends, traveling, the World Wide Web and his greatest inspiration, his mother. Grant has coined his art “COOLAGES” because he says he uses cool colors, cool shapes, cool textures. His art has brought him peace and purpose. “Art is my meditation,” he explains, “When my anxieties get the best of me and I need to look for peace, all I have to do is come back to my art and I feel connected to something bigger.”

Manier has a garage full of puzzles and it’s no coincidence that the puzzle piece is the symbol for autism. Recycled puzzles happen to be one of Grant’s greatest signatures marks. Grant not only recycles puzzles for his art, once he receives the box he proceeds to peel the print off of each puzzle piece, “I need the puzzle to be paper thin so I can apply it to the canvas easily, that’s why I need to peel the print off each piece,” Grant says. Manier is the only known puzzle artist to apply this painstaking puzzle process to his art. Although he teaches children and adults to recycle puzzle and create art, it takes a tremendous amount of patience and time to create the masterpieces that Manier does effortlessly.

Manier travels, makes appearances, and raises money for schools, galas, conferences, and other great causes. Exhibiting and teaching the importance of recycling and protecting our planet. With his beautiful and breath-taking Eco-Art masterpieces, Manier captures the attention of everyone around him and has created a following for his art. Grant has worked alongside Dr. Temple Grandin, the most well-known person with autism (HBO movie, Time Magazine “100 most influential people in the world). Grant has also raised thousands of dollars for great causes with his Eco-art and motivational message.

Grant Manier, to some, stands for “Hope,” and for others, a “New Era.” As an Eco-artist, he’s protecting and teaching others to save the earth. As a person living with autism, he has become a voice for those who cannot hear by leading the way with his remarkable special talent and teaching the world, “It’s not what we can’t do... It’s what we can do, that makes all the difference”

www.GrantsEcoArt.com

Facebook page: www.facebook.com/Grants EcoArt