Colin Breslin | Visual Artist | Fort Lauderdale, FL

Colin Breslin is a visual artist and muralist whose work moves between technical realism and bold abstraction, exploring the space where structure meets spontaneity. From large-scale public murals to intimate studio paintings, his practice spans automotive realism, architectural abstraction, portraiture, and street-influenced color work — held together by a single sensibility for light, motion, and composition.

Selected Affiliations & Recognition

• Full-scholarship recipient, multiple years, AutoNation Academy of Art and Design (formerly the Museum of Art | Fort Lauderdale Studio School), evaluated annually on portfolio competition until the program closed

• Andy McLachlin Memorial Award (2024), Florida State University Department of Art — given to outstanding art students for work exemplifying exceptional artistic achievement

• 2025 Graduate, Business for the Arts Broward’s Mural Mentorship Program — competitive program for emerging muralists in Broward County

• Contributing artist on the Broward Health Medical Center mural, Andrews Avenue, Fort Lauderdale (Business for the Arts Broward Mural Mentorship program)

• Part of the mural team on multiple public Lead With LOVE mural projects in Broward County, designed and led by Cey Adams, founding Director of Def Jam Recordings (work in MoMA and the Smithsonian)

• Artist of “Song of the Cypress”, a public mural commission donated by BBX Capital through BFA Broward’s Art Walls program for Scouting America South Florida Council; photo coverage in the South Florida Sun Sentinel (February 2026), ribbon cutting held April 25th, 2026

• On exhibit at Las Olas River House Art Gallery, Fort Lauderdale May 17th thru December, 2026

• Exhibitor at the Las Olas Art Fair

Background

Art has always come naturally to Colin. As a kid, he drew on anything he could find — Magnadoodles, sketchpads, his math homework — he was painting commissioned pieces long before art became a formal pursuit. He was selected on merit for the AutoNation Academy of Art and Design at the Museum of Art, Fort Lauderdale (a division of Nova Southeastern University), where he won full merit scholarship every year through the program’s run, training in classical realism through still life and live-model sessions. The academy’s director recognized Colin’s ability early and personally encouraged him to develop his craft beyond the summer sessions — moving him into high school figure drawing as a sixth grader. That early classical training set the foundation for everything that followed.

While studying for his Bachelor of Fine Arts at Florida State University, Colin began to push his work in new directions — layering light, texture, and geometry in ways that challenged traditional boundaries. His college work grew more personal and conceptual, blending discipline with intuition, and earned him the Andy McLachlin Memorial Award in his graduating year.

Outside the studio, Colin grew up around design and craftsmanship, working alongside his father in a fine custom woodworking business. That exposure to architectural precision and the aesthetics of high-end interiors still shapes his compositions today — the balance, structure, and quiet clarity that underpin even his most abstract pieces.

Practice

Today, Colin paints original works, large-scale public murals, and private commissions that bridge realism and abstraction. His cityscapes — Las Olas Boulevard, Miami Beach — sit alongside automotive realism; his bold abstracts share a body of work with the more complex deconstructionist studies that draw from architecture, the Italian Futurists, and the geometry of the built world. He isn’t fitting into a single category — he’s building an evolving practice that reflects curiosity, movement, and growth.

Colin works on murals at every scale, from interior accent walls and residential commissions to large-scale public and commercial installations. His inspiration draws as much from architecture and street art as from the fine art tradition. Cities — especially Miami’s Wynwood Walls and the cultural intersection of South Florida — fuel his creative energy. The result is work that is both polished and raw, intentional and instinctive.

Colin accepts a limited number of commissions each year, including original paintings, portraits, custom automotive, and murals for residential, commercial, and public spaces.

For commissions, mural inquiries, or gallery conversations, contact Colin here.‍ ‍