Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, Shawn McNulty is an active contemporary painter in the Minnesota art scene. He defines his style as "the idea of recognizable shapes and structures within an irrational environment with emphasis on form, color, and composition."

He was raised in the suburbs of St. Paul and attended St. John's University in Collegeville, Minnesota, where he received a liberal arts education and became very interested in topics like Animal Behavior, Philosophy, and Behaviorism. McNulty was a teaching assistant for both his Psychology and Art Professors, and took on both tasks his senior year.

While McNulty did focus heavily on Art in college, he received a majority of his Art Education under the instruction of Richard Doolittle. Doolittle challenged McNulty to examine his subject matter, and the basic idea of creativity and spontaneity while still implementing design fundamentals.

It was during this time that McNulty first became familiar with the work of Hans Hofmann, Mark Rothko, and Richard Diebenkorn, and their work has continuing influence on him.

After he graduated from St. John's in 1997, McNulty once again explored painting. He had focused on Multimedia and Digital Art during college, so he found it refreshing to stretch canvas again and began his signature large-scale, highly colorful abstractions.

To promote his work, McNulty utilized the Internet, which has proven a successful method of reaching numerous collectors all over the world, among whom are former President Bill Clinton and former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura. His work can also be found in the prestigious corporate collections of Hi-Wire Productions, M-Tech Information Technology, and Net Perceptions.

He is a founding member of the 26 contemporary artists that created Rosalux Gallery in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which is maintained by artists. Rosalux has become a major part of the contemporary art scene in Minnesota, and is located in the Open Book Building on Washington Avenue.