Michael McGuinness 

(1935 - 2016)

Born in Essex, he studied illustration at the SE Essex School of Art, then painting at Royal Academy Schools and at Walthamstow School of Art.

In the early 1960s, he joined The Observer newspaper & magazine as Artist/Designer and then moved to the Reader?s Digest as Art Editor for special projects and then on to The Independent, where he became the first Art Editor of (and oversaw its launch in 1986) the award-winning newspaper, the first using new technology. 

He then became the first Art Editor of The Independent on Sunday.  In 1993, he was invited to design the colour magazine for the relaunch of The Observer and then rejoined The Independent and The Independent on Sunday as Head of Design and Graphics.

His career included working as Senior Design Editor at Michell Beazley Publishing and producing drawings & cartoons for, amongst others, The Spectator and the Sunday Times.

He was elected a member of the Royal Watercolour Society in 1989 and exhibited regularly at the Bankside Gallery.  He was a member of the New English Art Club and showed oils and watercolours at many Royal Academy Summer Shows.