|
Michael was born in 1961 in North West England and educated at Ashton High School in Preston, where even as a boy he regularly won awards for his art. A keen Ornithologist since his early days, Michael had his own bird sanctuary taking in waifs and strays and nurturing them back to health, later to be released to the wild. This early devotion to wildlife has led him to be both, environmentally aware and a keen conservationist.
His passion for Nature and Art led him to Blackpool College where he studied Natural History Illustration. He was the first student ever to achieve a distinction and was awarded the Student of the Year, by the Rotary Club of Great Britain, for work of exceptional quality and detail.
" For me painting has long been a deep interest, a passion even, as long in fact as I care to remember. As any Artist will tell you, the thrill of creating something that may last for generations and hopefully be appreciated is difficult to describe. How long does it take? This must be the question most asked of any Artist. Infinite patience and a life times experience?....maybe. The answer I suppose is when I am happy with the work. Every time I look at a blank canvas a familiar nervousness reaches the pit of my stomach. This usually lasts a few days if the work gets off on the right foot, yet weeks can sometimes pass before I become settled that things are as they should be. This is not to say that I am ever truly satisfied, I cannot ever imagine what a Artist would do if he or she was fully satisfied with the result. The spiritual buzz that goes with the continuing challenge would surely fizzle out and little would lie ahead except complacency. Encouragement and approval is something else. Like all people in all walks of life a pat on the back sometimes works wonders. I am always striving to do better, each picture being the greatest work of my lifetime, that is, until I start the next - and so it goes on. Should I ever get to the point of total satisfaction I think I'd better make that painting my last and put my brushes and easel away for good."
I count myself as very fortunate indeed to enjoy my work so much, and also paint the things that are dear to me. My one wish is to preserve our natural heritage before its too late and safeguard it for our future generations.
|
After leaving college he adopted painting as a full time career. In more recent times he has had five sell-out Exhibitions, and achieved record prices at both Sotheby's and Christies. Recently he was complemented by the Wildlife Art Society, by receiving the Honour of Best in Show at their annual Exhibition.
Michael is tireless in pursuit of reference for his subjects and has travelled extensively, from the Jungles of Borneo to the Plains of Africa and Asia. For Michael coming Face to Face with nature is what makes him tick.
I have trekked through very dense jungles, both East and West in search of my subjects. From tracking Tigers in Nepal's Chitwan Park, to the forests of Borneo and Central America. Apart from the oppressive heat, humidity, leeches, snakes and "Nasty Bity Things", coming face to face with an Orang-utan in Sepilock, Borneo has for me got to be one of the highlights of my travels to date.
Back in my studio in Hoghton, Lancashire I then have to sort out the reams of sketches, notes and photographs I have taken and make some sense of them. Now comes the serious stuff, actually composing a working drawing of things I have seen. In my work I really try to capture the very essence of the bird or animal in question. It must be in its natural habitat and that's where details of flora and fauna come in. The flowers and leaves must be totally accurate to re-create a faithful account of a scene I may have seen. Once the composition has been established the most important thing is the light. Light in a painting brings things to life, the glint in the eyes, the sheen on fur or feather, all play a vital role. Shadows also play a key role in describing form and texture. All these things along with colour balance must be weighed in order to create a believable scene.
Michael Jackson.