Michael: Expressive Landscapes in Colour and Light
Michael’s paintings are expressive and powerful, balancing abstraction with the ever-present influence of the landscape. Working on a large scale, he layers oil, pencil, charcoal, pastel, and ink to create dynamic compositions alive with texture, light, and colour. His process often begins outdoors, where the immediacy of the landscape inspires bold palettes and more representative forms, while studio work leans towards abstraction. Each painting becomes a collage of memory, sketches, photographs, and impressions of place, unified into a singular vision.
Born on the Suffolk coast, Michael’s early experiences of the shifting North Sea shaped his artistic eye. He later studied art and art history at Lancaster University before embarking on a high-profile career in corporate communications, culminating in his role as Global Communication Director in Paris. During these years, he continued painting, exhibiting annually in Paris until 2010, when he left the corporate world to pursue art full time.
Now based in south-west France, Michael’s work is held in private collections across Europe, the Middle East, the US, and Australia. He has undertaken significant commissions, including for Risk Capital Partners, whose Mayfair boardroom houses one of his works. In recognition of his contribution to the arts, Michael was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA) in 2014. His paintings continue to invite viewers into landscapes that shift seamlessly between representation and abstraction, rich with emotion, movement, and light.
