Canadian  1928-2003

McGinnis was born in St. John, New Brunswick during the Great Depression. As one of three children, he enjoyed the coastal lifestyle, the vibrant energy of a port city and the natural beauty of the Maritimes.
Upon graduation from St. Vincent High School in 1946, he decided to develop his artistry and enrolled in St. John Vocational School, where he studied under Ted Campbell and Fred Ross.
By 1951, he had moved to Toronto and was married to Wanda MacPherson. They bought a home in Erindale, Mississauga in 1961 and there he met renowned landsape artist Stuart Clifford Shaw (1896-1970).

Shaw proved to be a valuable mentor and a major influence, teaching McGinnis about painting in the tradition of J.W. Beatty and G.A. Reid.

Over the next ten years, they went on many painting expeditions to Northern Ontario, Lake Superior and Georgian Bay. Closer to home, they sketched the landscape and architecture of many historical villages and hamlets across southern Ontario.

Subsequent to Shaw’s death in 1970, McGinnis continued to work, paint and travel while raising six children, and studying art and literature.

By the mid-eighties he was a committed artist and selling privately from his home. Never one to be conservative, he boldlly explored style and techniques in landscapes, portraits, florals and architecture.