Michael studied librarianship in Manchester and realised early on he didn't want to be a librarian. Life-drawing cheered him up. Later he did a degree in Fine Art Printmaking, studied portrait-painting at Lavender Hill Studios and was a New English Art Club drawing scholar.

In 2015 he won the Le Clerc Fowle Medal for a group of outstanding paintings at the Royal Institute of Oil Painters’ annual exhibition, and the Winsor & Newton Award for a painting at the New English Art Club annual exhibition.

He is represented by GrandyArt in London.