Every Artist Has A Language
Language of Paint is the new limited edition monograph about David Mankin from leading art publishers Sansom & Co, written by art historian Alison Bevan.
It follows on from David Mankin Remembering in Paint published in 2021, delving deeper into how David has honed his art practice, developed his ever-evolving process and how he has created and built a unique way of communicating through his distinctive language of paint.
232 pages. Lavishly illustrated including over 300 paintings, sketches, photographs and collages made between 2021-2026. Published September 2026.
Pre-order your copy now and receive an exclusive 19 x 19 cm printed image of one his paintings with a personal message from David, a special discounted price of ÂŁ40 (normally ÂŁ45) plus an invitation to an exclusive online book launch event.
PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY TODAYWhat is inside?
This is not simply a record of David's work.
It is a portal into his mind, his thinking, his creativity and his inspirational process and art practice. How his work is born and how his paintings talk and converse with viewers on multiple levels.
Read more here...At the heart of David Mankin Language of Paint is a wide ranging, candid conversation between David and author Alison Bevan.
An in-depth discussion about how a visual language and a creative voice builds over time, through life experience and through a defined but free creative process.
It delves into the importance of immersing yourself in the canon of art history while remaining entirely yourself. Itâs about the role of risk, play and experimentation plus embracing failure to discover a creative voice and unique way of communicating through the language of paint.
Bevan situates David's work within a broad tradition, from Romanticism and St Ives Modernism to American Abstract Expressionism, exploring what makes his practice distinctly his own. She brings both scholarship and a curatorâs eye to the question of how the act of painting becomes a powerful, enduring language.
The book also reveals something rarely seen: pages from David's sourcebooks. Four Sourcebooks are featured bringing together over 100 sketches and collages. The raw, fragmentary, often unexpected beginnings of paintings that almost never leave the studio. Collages, sketches, slivers of photographs, flotsam, lines of poetry. The things that spark ideas, starting points that really get the painting process moving.
In the main Painting of a Language section Bevan gets to the essence of his language, analysing the cornerstones of how it has developed and how it continues to speak volumes. Throughout this section, collectors share their thoughts on what his paintings have meant to them over time.
Not what the paintings look like on the surface, but the deeper emotions they unlock. The way they hold memories, trigger moments and create a constant internal dialogue."
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Why order now, and why order directly?
When you pre-order David Mankin Language of Paint directly, your copy comes with three things you cannot get anywhere else.
 Exclusive Printed CardÂ
AÂ limited edition 19 x 19 cm printed card of the painting 'The Sky Widens' (as shown above) accompanied by a personal message from David. It is exclusive to this book only when you pre-order and will not be available elsewhere.
 Online Launch EventÂ
An invitation to an exclusive online book launch event where David talks about bringing the book to life and how he hopes the book will inspire and transform your creative thinking. It's a unique chance to hear from him talk directly, passionately about this incredible journey.
 Pre-Order Only DiscountÂ
The pre-order price of ÂŁ40, against the retail price of ÂŁ45 after 17 August.
A Personal Note From David...
âFive years ago in 2021, David Mankin Remembering in Paint was published I remember at the time being beyond proud of it and still am. I couldnât believe it was there in print and I was holding it! I can recall being slightly trepidatious about how it would be go down but everyone was so supportive and they loved it and were inspired by it!
With this book I wanted to go deeper and further into my process and paintings 5 years on, I want the book to help and inspire others to identify their passion, their voice, their process, their creative core and critically to help unearth their language of paint.
Alison spent the last year asking me questions, ones I have rarely been asked. She visited me in my Cornish studio several times and over many cups of tea we had some wonderfully deep conversations. About how I actually work, my process, my practice, my life, hopes and dreams and how this all comes together and feeds into my language of paint.
Included in the book is a large selection of paintings Iâve made since 2021 which is quite a few! One thing I was also excited to include was my Sourcebooks which are rarely seen apart from when I have a solo exhibition. So Iâm excited to include four of them here in detail. I think youâll love looking through these and find them inspiring.
Being inspired is it in a nutshell. I know many of you have David Mankin Remembering in Paint in your studios and I wanted David Mankin Language of Paint to be a sister publication or in arty language a diptych publication!
They are both the same size, same paper whiteness and the same print quality so they will sit perfectly together in your studio. I want to make you think, always be inspired (especially on tough days) and for both to be objects of beauty that bring a smile to your face and that youâll return to and enjoy time and time again.
As a thank you for taking the plunge now and pre-ordering I also wanted to include a special printed card of one of favourite paintings with a personal note from me to just to say thank you for following me along and being so supportive of my art journey.
It means the world to me.â
âIn a nutshell, I want you to be inspired to go further!"
âI know many of you have David Mankin Remembering in Paint in your studios and I wanted David Mankin Language of Paint to be sister publication or in arty language a diptych publication! They are both the same size, same paper whiteness and the same print quality so they will sit perfectly together in your studio. I want both to make you think, be always inspirational especially on tough days and for both to be objects of beauty that bring a smile to your face and that youâll return to and enjoy time and time againâ
David Mankin
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âDavid Mankin is one of the most compelling abstract painters of his generation...â
â...creating works of intensity and depth inspired by the Cornish landscape. His paintings carry an emotional weight and instil a visceral response - each painting evoking real feelings rather than a casual observation. Through his unique language of paint, he captures the wilds of Cornwall, distilling its essence into something profoundly human. The resultant body of work forms a lasting connection in all who encounter it and I believe his standing in the art world will continue to soar amongst his many collectors around the worldâ â
- Sarah Brittain-Mansbridge MBE, Director, Cornwall Contemporary Gallery
