His love for art combined with experiences in the wilds of Montana led Michael to work for many years as a natural illustrator. He created hundreds of complex wildlife and habitat paintings for clients like; the U.S. Forest Service, The Nature Conservancy, Trout Unlimited, Montana Fish and Game, and many others. Outdoor writer Jim Merritt wrote an unsolicited, feature article about Michael’s work for ‘Field & Stream’ magazine entitled ‘The Masters Hand’. Michael painted on TV for an ESPN fishing program and his work was editorialized in virtually every other fly-fishing periodical.   Currently Michael paints for galleries and private commissions. Michael’s knowledge of iconic figures enables him to paint with intuitive spontaneity.