Joan Manning
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Joan A. Manning (June 11, 1934 – July 17, 2023) was an American painter and the creator of Healing Art Forms, a pioneering approach that combined painting, spirituality, and the therapeutic potential of color. She was celebrated for expressive acrylic works that fused vibrant color, spiritual themes, and an exploration of art’s healing potential. Over a decades-long career, she exhibited widely in California and Arizona, earned regional awards, participated in the Art in Embassies program,[1] and was featured on PBS’s The Dani Starr Show.[2] Her artistic influences included Françoise Gilot, Pablo Picasso, Francis Bacon, Georgia O’Keeffe, and Henri Matisse.
Early life
Manning was born on June 11, 1934, in Hollywood, California, to Dora and Clifford Manning. She showed an early interest in drawing and creative work—an inclination that later defined her career.
From a young age, Manning was described as highly intuitive and psychic. As a little girl, she often spoke of conversations with unseen entities, a trait that her parents discouraged and sometimes punished her for. Despite this, her sense of spirituality and deep sensitivity later became a central influence in both her life and her artwork.
In her younger years, she eventually moved to El Centro, California, where she attended Central Union High School. Manning was the majorette for the high school band and became well known for her vibrant personality, good looks, and creative talents. During this time, she met her future husband, Doug Harvey, who was the quarterback of the school’s football team. The two married in 1950, when Manning was 16 years old.
Career
She studied at the University of Southern California’s Idyllwild campus under the mentorship of Françoise Gilot, a noted artist and writer. Gilot, who had two children with Pablo Picasso and later married Jonas Salk (developer of the first effective polio vaccine), deeply influenced Manning’s understanding of modernist expression and abstraction.
Highlights of her career include:
- Best in Show awards at the San Diego Art Expo and El Centro Art Expo
- California Fine Arts Director for the Imperial Valley Art Expo
- Feature in Twentieth Century Masters of Erotic Art (1980; foreword by Henry Miller; edited by Bradley Smith), recognizing her as a 20th-century master artist[3]
- Two works displayed at the U.S. Embassy in Morocco as part of the Art in Embassies program[1]
- A 1986 feature on the PBS program The Dani Starr Show, discussing her philosophy and Healing Art Forms[2]
In later years, she developed the Healing Paintings series, exploring the psychological and spiritual power of color.
Exhibitions
Manning’s work was shown in numerous galleries and exhibitions across California and Arizona. Notable exhibitions include:
- La Jolla Penthouse Gallery (La Jolla, California)
- San Diego Art Expo (San Diego, California) – Best in Show recipient
- El Centro Art Expo (El Centro, California) – Best in Show recipient
- Imperial Valley Art Expo (California) – where she also served as California Fine Arts Director
- Regional California and Arizona galleries, with recurring solo and group shows
- U.S. Embassy in Morocco – two works selected for display through the Art in Embassies program[1]
Notable works
Manning’s art often combined abstraction, modernist influence, and spiritual themes. Some of her most recognized series include:
- Healing Art Forms – her signature concept and body of work, blending visual art with therapeutic and spiritual elements.
- Healing Paintings – a later series that emphasized the psychological and emotional effects of color.
- Angel Power Series – works exploring divine imagery and spiritual empowerment, which later inspired the founding of Angel Power Home Care.
Artistic style and influences
Drawing on modernist and expressionist traditions—especially Gilot, Picasso, Bacon, O’Keeffe, and Matisse—Manning’s acrylics brought bold, layered abstraction to life, evoking inner landscapes and emotional resonance.
Collectors
Manning’s work was collected by prominent figures, including:
- Françoise Gilot, artist and author
- Dr. Jonas Salk, medical researcher and developer of the polio vaccine
- Fritz Scholder, Native American artist
- Ambassador Thomas Nassif, U.S. diplomat
- Various Hollywood celebrities and private collectors
Personal life
Manning was married twice. Her first marriage was to Harold Douglas "Doug" Harvey, a Hall of Fame MLB umpire, from 1950 to 1952. They had one son together, Douglas Lee Harvey, who later passed away in 2011.[4]
She later married Wallace G. Heard, with whom she had three children: Darcy Heard, Lance Heard, and Morgan Heard. Darcy died of a brain tumor at the age of four. Following her divorce from Wallace Heard in 1980, Morgan later changed his surname to Morgan Manning in honor of his mother.
In total, she raised four children: Douglas Lee Harvey, Darcy Heard, Lance Heard, and Morgan Manning.
Later years, illness, and death
In her final years, Manning endured a 14-year struggle with Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia. She also experienced the loss of two of her children: her second son, Darcy, who died of a brain tumor at the age of four, and her eldest son, Douglas Lee Harvey, who passed away in 2011.
During this period, she shared a profound and unique bond with her son, Morgan Manning, who served as her primary caregiver. Through innovative communication methods and compassionate care, he preserved a uniquely emotional connection, adding meaningful years to her life—efforts that earned admiration from medical professionals and hospital staff.
Morgan’s innovative care approach brought attention from doctors, healthcare professionals, and the media. He was featured on The Pattie Daly Show for his “Omni Stove” caregiving techniques, and physicians asked him to help train nurses. Using these methods, his mother’s life was prolonged, and she was at one point released from hospice care.
Manning died peacefully at her home in Palm Desert, California, on July 17, 2023, at age 89, with her son Morgan by her side. A memorial was held on October 7, 2023, at San Gorgonio Memorial Park in Banning, California. The family requested donations to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.[5]
Legacy
Manning’s emotionally resonant, color-driven paintings—marked by healing intent and modernist influence—earned her recognition in both art circles and public institutions. Her inclusion in Twentieth Century Masters of Erotic Art[3] further affirmed her place as a 20th-century master artist. Her profiles on PBS[2] and the Art in Embassies program[1] extended her influence beyond galleries.
In tribute to her legacy, her son Morgan founded Angel Power Home Care, inspired by Joan’s Angel Power series. The company is dedicated to revolutionizing in-home care, incorporating cutting-edge advancements to enhance quality of life—an enduring testament to her impact on both art and compassion.
Her personal works and archives remain available on her official website: Joan Manning Official Site.[6]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 U.S. Department of State – Art in Embassies Program
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 PBS – The Dani Starr Show (1986) featuring Joan Manning
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Smith, Bradley (ed.). Twentieth Century Masters of Erotic Art. New York: Lyle Stuart, 1980. Foreword by Henry Miller.
- ↑ Doug Harvey (umpire) – Wikipedia
- ↑ Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research
- ↑ Joan Manning – Official Artist Website
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