Below: Rohan Knob, from Manton Road, beautiful rugged hills of Kentucky where dad is from, 2016
My father, Folk Art painter Hagan McGee, 1927-2017, painted acrylic on canvas memory paintings of his youth in the 1930s while growing up in tiny town of Manton KY. His parents and family were forced to move to Louisville during the hard years right before WWII in order for his father to find work.
Hagan would always dream of the magical time of his childhood in the rugged hills of Washington County (he called one hill the “top of the world”) and would take his own children back often for fishing trips and hikes. In 1993, after many years of working to support his own family, Hagan retired and discovered his talent for painting visual stories.
Hagan painted daily in his studio right up to entering a nursing home for his last few years, he even had a small painting area in his room there. His art is in many private and corporate collections in the region.
Note: In his early 80s, dad made these cool Folk sculptures. He was really good at making the often kinetic works move in interesting ways.
Below: Bluegrass Band, 2013, by Hagan McGee, 12"x24"x10", painted wood figures
Next; Horse with Jockey, 2013, 10"h
Images below:
Top image: McGee Family Fishing, 20"x30
Middle image: Hagan McGee in the Manton General Store, 2012. He had some paintings down there until it closed. Still a nice day trip from Louisville!
Bottom image: My daughter Tasha on the front porch of the historic Manton Store, May, 2012.
Below: An typical scene my father paints of his youth in Manton, pre-WWII, 30"x40".
Below: Rock fences like this are found throught the hills and valleys around Manton. This photo was taken behind the Manton Store. My father had fond memories of his youth in the rugged hill region. The area was settled by Irish Immigrants in the 1800s, a beautiful small historic Catholic church, Holy Rosary, and a small school house sit near the store. A wonderful day trip from Louisville.
