Michael McGuire calls Santa Fe, New Mexico his home. Growing up in Columbus, Ohio, Michael began his studies in fine art at a very early age winning his first scholarship to art school at age 12 attending the Columbus College of Art & Design. After graduating from Ohio University and a short vocation as an art therapist, Michael began his artistic career in Los Angeles as a free-lance commercial artist drawing pen & ink illustrations for the LA Times and poster art for One-Stop Poster Company. While teaching at the Brentwood Art Center, he enjoyed producing book, magazine, and poster illustration where he specialized in gouache airbrush.

Upon arriving in New Mexico, Michael received a working grant from the New Mexico Arts Division to paint monumental murals for public buildings. He earned "signature" membership in the NM Watercolor Society in 1987 and as a watercolorist and oil painter continues to be juried into exhibitions and professional competitions around the country.

Michael teaches workshops in oil and watercolor technique through Valdes Art Workshops in Santa Fe, as well as teaching computer graphics and animation software at Santa Fe Community College. He has also instructed for St. John’s College, Santa Fe Preparatory School, and the Academy for Technology & the Classics. He created a formal seminar on design strategies for traditional and digital artists providing the foundation for a book he is currently writing on “Mastering Design for Studio Artists.”

Michael illustrated for John Muir Publications, New Mexico Wildlife Magazine, and New Mexico Federation of Wildlife as well as private and corporate clients. Michael has been published in North Light Book’s "Wildlife Art" and "The Best of Wildlife Art." and will again be published in North Light’s upcoming book “Strokes of Genius 2” scheduled for release in 2009.
Michael is currently represented by the Arlene Siegel Gallery in Santa Fe.

For the past 15 years Michael has enjoyed a free-lance profession in the computer graphics industry producing renderings and animations for the business and entertainment community. He has worked as an animation background artist for Animated Images, Bandolier Films, UMA Mirage Productions, and Spung-Buggy Works of LA. This year in conjunction with Bill Rodman Productions he produced nine short animations for the Discovery Channel's program: "Space Balloons," and just recently completed work on a short animation with Flammdoodle Productions for the State of New Mexico.

His skills as a background scenic artist and matte painter are complemented by his versatility in 2D & 3D modeling and animation software. Often called upon to produce architectural renderings as well as concept illustration and production visualizations, his artistic talent for drawing and painting complimented by 3D computer modeling, staging, and animation provide a solid skill-set to offer any client.

Michael continues to live and work in Santa Fe creating original artwork for the fine art community and illustrating for the computer graphics industry, all the while cherishing every day he's privileged to do this...

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"Artists are the gloves of creation in which God reaches in and tickles the world."

                                                                                      - michael mcguire -