CanaBio

Michael Canavan is an artist, graphic designer, writer and author living in Camillus, NY. A graduate of Syracuse University, he has worked in the Syracuse community all his life and currently operates CanaGraphics, a freelance graphic design and illustration studio.

Writing

Canavan self-published his first children’s book, “Queen of the Beach,” in 1997 and sold nearly every copy as a result of his visits to schools teaching elementary students the basics of storytelling and how to construct their own home-made books through his “Build a Book” program. Encouraged by QOTB, he attempted a first full-scale novel, The Cloudburst Flying Technique. The story accounts a teen’s instruction in the art of flying by a mysterious modern-day alchemist. The Strachen Literary Agency saw promise in the manuscript and approached Harper Collins who, initially, showed interest, but withdrew.  He is currently seeking a publisher for a second children’s novel, Mountain Man Mac and the Red Bean Ravine.
He next set his sights on the adult literary market with his work-in-progress, Elmwood.  When a news director for a failing television station stumbles upon a grisly murder, he realizes that there is a direct connection between this murder and one he witnessed forty years ago. The narrative toggles between past events and current dangers as the protagonist tries to unravel the connection between the two murders and  avert the next one- his. A multi-tasker by nature, Michael is also mapping out and drafting two other novels tentatively titled Exit Interview and Greenpoint Mystic.

Visual Arts

You may have seen Michael’s artwork around Onondaga County. He has designed a great many Winterfest posters, advertising materials, musical backdrops, billboards, branding campaigns, and corporate publications. His forty-foot mural depicting “An Unexpected Party” from J.R.R. Tolkein’s “The Hobbit” graced the North Syracuse School District Office’s community room in the offices on Taft Road for over 25 years.  He recently completed a surrounding mural of beach scenes from Cape Cod to the Jersey shore for the therapy pool at Achieve Physical Therapy.  He paints portraits of people, their homes, draws caricatures, creates conventional and Adobe Photoshop/Illustrator illustrations, and works in 2 and 3 dimensional art. “Barriers and conventions are pointless and constrictive in creative pursuit.”

Michael can be reached at mbeanz@twcny.rr.com or check out his web page: www.canaconcepts.com for samples of his writing and for galleries of his paintings and illustrations.