Bruce McKinney is a surreal artist who practices his own style of surrealistic art based on the masters of surrealism. He tries to keep it pure and simple as it was meant to be and does not drifting off into fantasy and unreal worlds of gnomes and goblins as in the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, nor does he include outer space such as work by Swiss surrealist artist H. R. Giger. These commercial works are unlike McKinney's, whose works embody your soul to create a thought based on the subject before you. “To ask why creates a need to know which triggers a part in all of us enough to wonder why,” he says. "It is not a lot of weird images on canvas for example, but a thought process created to capture your imagination no matter what the medium."

McKinney is a versatile teacher having worked with high school students in the creation of set designs and provided art instruction for mentally challenged adults. Early on, he taught drawing and painting at the Delaware Art Museum and the Jewish Community Center in Wilmington Delaware. McKinney enjoys working with a variety of people and organizations.

His cartooning has opened many doors including those at the White House back in 1971 when he received recognition for a caricature of Richard Nixon. His work has even honored kings, as Graceland used his work in 1989. Although he finds surreal interpretation easy, McKinney prefers to teach simple set design for local school theater productions like The Music Man, Guys and Dolls, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

In his art exhibits, he goes beyond the realm to bring all that can be brought to your eyes, ears, heart, and mind. His very first show sold an amazing number of paintings.

McKinney attended Tusculum College in Greeneville, Tennessee and Delaware State University, and has a B.A. in Art. He recently moved to Sussex County and is originally from New Castle County.