About the Artist
Michael’s lifelong love of art was sparked during his childhood in Beverly Hills, California where he painted alongside his mother and two aunts, all three of whom were accomplished oil painters. Eventually, he moved from painting to other mediums and won county-wide awards for his work in ceramics. Although he started college as an art major, Michael graduated from Stanford University with a BA in psychology, and proceeded to earn an MBA from UC Berkeley.
What followed was a long career in construction and real estate development in which Michael made extensive use of his artistic and design instincts. During this period, Michael continued to work as a fine artist, focusing on large-scale mosaic sculptures and assemblages, often using found objects. Then in 2011, he circled back to painting. Michael's mild color blindness limits his perception in low light of the shift between a dusty rose and dusty olive, and predisposing him to appreciate more saturated palettes.
Since 2003, Michael has lived in Santa Barbara, California with his husband Steven, whom he met in 1981. When their first home burned to the ground within a year of them building it, the guys built anew, naming the new home "Pentimento." The house is filled with Michael's paintings, and a curated collection of antiques. Esteemed architectural photographer, Amy Barnard photographed the house. Their book of these photographs is available for pre-sale at. Pentimento.US.
Michael devotes himself to working in his dedicated art studio adjacent to the main house at Pentimento. His paintings have been shown in multiple galleries in Santa Barbara and throughout southern California. They have been recognized in juried exhibitions, and sought out by collectors. Not unlike the design for Pentimento, Michael’s paintings often include unusual juxtapositions, and tend to draw the viewer in, layer-by-layer. Whether captured as a still life, portrait, abstract, or landscape his paintings reflect the depth and breadth of an artistic vision that is continuing to evolve.