Finistere

Michael’s work has been described as expressive, bordering on abstract but with the landscape ever present in his large and impactful paintings. He works in a vibrant array of mixed media including oil, pencil, charcoal, pastels and ink, building an expressive and vital world of colour and light with multiple layers and textures on the canvas. He regularly paints on location, which finds influences his palette because the colours of the landscape are so immediate and bright. Working outside also has an impact on the final composition, with the piece becoming more representative, whereas painting in the studio results in more abstract work. In preparation for each painting, Michael creates a portfolio of photographs and sketches as well as committing the colours and the quality of light to memory before returning to his studio. He says: "My work is like a collage of different elements brought together to create one landscape."

Michael grew up on the Suffolk coast, citing the ever-changing views of the North Sea as a huge influence on his young mind. He went on to study art and art history at the University of Lancaster and although painting was a huge part of his life from the beginning, he started to “reluctantly” climb the corporate ladder, eventually becoming Global Communication Director for an international firm based in Paris. This high flying position involved extensive travel, and the extremely creative organisation continuously fed his mind with ideas and inspiration that were grist to his creative mill. Every year the company hosted an exhibition in Paris which Michael participated in, and in 2010, he decided the time had come to quit corporate life and focus full time on painting. He has never looked back.

Biography and work by Michael Rumsby