Born in Germany, Michael's parents immigrated to New York City in 1951. His childhood home in Queens was a short distance from the 1964 World's Fair. The international exhibits of culture, art and technology supplied a rich experience that proved highly influential. Originally aspiring to become a comic book artist he gradually discovered the diversity of the art world and its history. An early mentor and professor of art at Syracuse University reviewed his work and observed, 'What you can't draw, you photograph. What you can't photograph, you draw.' His university studies focused on traditional methods of lithography and etching, then evolved into photo serigraphy at the State University of New York at New Paltz.
In 1975 Michael moved to Nuremberg, Germany to work as a graphic artist and was accepted as a student at the Akademie der Bildenden Kunste, studying painting and German language. In France he enjoyed several artist residencies at the Foundation Karolyi. In 1980 Michael established his art studio on historic Neely Farm near Atlanta and began his teaching career offering adult classes in drawing and painting. As a recipient of the Georgia Council for the Arts Artist-in-Education grants he was invited to schools to teach art and promote art appreciation in the community while developing his artistic ideas. His work was purchased for the Governor's Collection for the State of Georgia. Many of his early drawings, prints and paintings are preserved in the public collection of The Arts Council in Gainesville, Georgia. During an exhibit of his prints at the Atlanta College of Art in 1986 Michael was invited to the school's new computer graphics lab. That began his continuing interest in painting and picture making using computers.
