Growing up in New Jersey, Kinney discovered his passion for art at Weehawken High School, winning the art award his senior year.
During his undergraduate at Montclair State University, Kinney took elective painting courses but opted not to pursue a Fine Arts degree. Despite lacking formal training, Kinney began selling his creative projects and began hosting Paint Classes in 2014.
After college, Kinney escaped to Midcoast Maine, where the quiet solitude of the landscape helped him discover his artistic voice. He was granted residency at The Art Loft of Rockland, where he held multiple solo exhibitions and conducted painting classes and courses. During this time he developed a love for portraiture, focusing on capturing emotion and the subtle expressions that define a subject. He continued pursuing this interest through formal study, attending a portraiture workshop at the Florence Academy of Art in the summer of 2022 and another at the Grand Central Atelier in the summer of 2024.
Returning to settle in Queens, Kinney founded On the Easel, an art event company that aims to expand into a community art center. Alongside hosting classes with OTE, Kinney has spent 5 years as an elementary and middle school Art Teacher. Kinney’s mission is to demystify the art world, making it more accessible and approachable.
He believes in helping people realize their artistic potential, highlighting the numerous benefits of art making, including the joy it brings.