Ralph Courtie

Epithet: Manx artist (b.1945)

Record type: Biographies

Biography: Ralph Courtie’s interest in art began at an early age whilst at school on the Isle of Man, spending many hours at home as a child working on pencil and pen drawings. His love of drawing continued after he joined the Royal Navy in 1962 and his travel experiences, observing different landscapes around the world, proved to be an inspiration. He remained in the Navy until 1972 and then returned to the Isle of Man with his wife and family where he has since established himself as a Manx landscape and maritime artist.

Art:
His early work was mainly executed using pen or pencil and as a result he developed a solid grounding in drawing; he later took up oil painting following his return to the Isle of Man. Courtie has developed a style of landscape and seascape paintings which he hopes and feels exude ‘a feeling of peace and calm’. His work in the 1980s and 1990s has concentrated on the Manx landscape and the portrayal of the Island in its many moods, using oils and acrylics.

Since 1997 he has produced a new style of art in oils and acrylics, complementing his more traditional Manx landscapes. His new paintings are more abstract and conceptual in form and are seen by the artist as being dynamic and concentrating on vibrant colours. The artist’s intention has been that ‘these paintings have an ethereal quality but at the same time you feel the artist has his feet firmly on the ground’.

Occupation / profession: artist

Gender: Male

Date of birth: 1945

Place of birth: Isle of Man

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