Norman Sayle RI

Isle of Man Post Office is delighted to present this set of eight stamps showcasing the remarkable watercolours of Norman Sayle R.I. during the year in which he celebrates his 80th birthday.

For many years Norman inspired and encouraged generations of Manx art students as head of the foundation course at the IOM College. His 35 years as an art lecturer did, of course, enrich his vision and interpretation of the Manx scene but it was only after his retirement in 1989 that Norman decided to exhibit outside the Island. In 1994 he won the R.I. Medal for the best painting by a non-member at the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours annual exhibition at the Mall Galleries, London, and gained full membership in the same year. In the following years he won the third prize at the Singer & Friedlander / Sunday Times Watercolour Competition no fewer than three times, and in 1997 won the £15,000 first prize.

Norman is represented in many public and private collections and describes his work as follows:

"My aim is to express my devotion to the Manx countryside – its grey churches, stone circles, slate walls – by reconciling three components: the subject matter, the structure and the medium. In the end I want it to look as if the watercolour was speaking for itself."

Norman Sayle RI is printed in sheets of 25.

Date of Issue: 12th April 2007