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A Brief Biography
Michael was born in 1952 and raised in Livingston, a farm town located in the center of California's San Jauquin Valley. He was encouraged by his family and teachers to pursue his interest in graphic art. An enthusiastic high school art teacher gave Michael a screen printing introduction and instructions that have captivated him to this day.
He carried his interests in printmaking, painting and sculpture throughout his college studies and produced a body of work that displayed a playful interest in how art can communicate ones self awareness (poking fun at the pitfalls). In 1975 he earned a B. A. from California State University, at Stanislaus and was awarded a fellowship in sculpture from Western Michigan University. He married Rosemarye Valentine that summer, they packed up their VW's and moved to Kalamazoo. Mike produced and showed work for two years to earn a M. F. A. The work ranged from small woodcarving and castings to large contraptions that played some optometric experiments with a dose of humor.
Having enough of those Midwestern winters, they moved back to California and to the North Coast in the fall of 1977. Drawing inspiration from the scenic beauty of the area, Mike began a series of small landscapes in between various carpentry and sign jobs. Encouragement came in shows and sales in the area starting with the walls of the Jambalaya in Arcata , 1979. Along with helping to raise a family and aways working on the home he and Rose built in Bridgeville, he has been producing several editions a year and shows work throughout Northern California.
In 2007 Michael was hired as director of the Bridgeville Community Center.
Rose and Mike have two children. Both Gabriel and Celeste are living and working in San Francisco.
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