acrylic nocturne cityscape - Michael Guinane, "Opening Night," 2021, acrylic and watercolor drybrush on panel, 20 x 32 in., private collection
Michael Guinane, "Opening Night," 2021, acrylic and watercolor drybrush on panel, 20 x 32 in., private collection

There is a lot of superb contemporary realism being made these days; this article by Brandon Rosas shines light on a gifted individual.

Mood and atmosphere take center stage in the paintings of Michael Guinane (b. 1978), who uses a multilayered approach to capture the feeling of a particular place and time. “I spend a lot of time thinking about how we are suspended between past and future,” says Guinane. “I love showing viewers a moment in time that allows them to imagine what has happened or is about to happen.”

As a teenager, Guinane took figure drawing classes at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design and was chosen for a high school program that allowed him to spend half of each day of his senior year at the Milwaukee Art Museum. “It was through these activities that I fell in love with art and realized it was what I wanted to pursue,” he recalls.

After earning a B.F.A. in illustration from Ohio’s Columbus College of Art & Design, Guinane entered the freelance illustration scene but was disappointed to find it involved more time at a computer than before an easel. “I wanted to get my hands on the work and explore the many things I could do with the physical medium,” he says, so he then switched his focus to fine art.

Originally enamored with indirect oil painting techniques, Guinane later developed a method that allows him to achieve the effects of oil with acrylic and watercolor. “Using multiple layers and glazes, I can control the value relationships and overall tonal effects slowly as I build up an image,” he explains. “My style of painting truly lends itself to creating strong atmosphere and light effects.”

These effects are on full display here in the nocturne cityscape “Opening Night,” in which the rain-slicked streets outside Columbus’s Palace Theatre glow with the neon reflections of a bustling downtown district. Like much of Guinane’s work, this piece was inspired by personal experience. “I love going to the theater and feeling the excitement of the night,” says the artist. “You see all kinds of people under the bright lights, and the way they are dressed creates classic silhouettes that feel timeless.”

Although his quest for inspiration takes him around the world, Guinane is pleased to make his home in Ohio’s capital. “Having lived here for over 20 years, I’ve watched Columbus’s art scene grow into something to be proud of,” he says. “I’m able to travel and explore, then come back and share new paintings from my experiences with excited and supportive patrons, collectors, students, and the city.”

This nocturne cityscape spotlight was originally published in Fine Art Connoisseur magazine (subscribe here).