Michael Clark PAI was born in Ayr, Scotland 1959. He studied at the Edinburgh College of Art from 1979 - 1983. A love of film led him to work for the BBC in Glasgow for six years. On moving to London in 1989 he worked as a freelance Art Director and illustrator; he also began to paint again with much success.
Although Scotland was his birthplace and now his home, it is his love of France – it’s life and culture – which has so often provided the inspiration for his painting. From his first visit to Paris as a student at the Edinburgh College of Art thirty years ago, his inspiration now takes him back to Paris, and beyond, to regions such as the South West of France and Provence.
Taking from the Scottish Colourist tradition, he produces flattened scenes of everyday life with swathes of vivid colour. Influenced heavily by his travels about Paris and the South West of France, Clark ranges in depiction, from tranquil moments in lush park greenery to bustling street corner café's and markets. Picking up on the small and beautiful details of daily living, Clark renders moments in time that reach far beyond a mere pretty picture. Standing strong against a colour-blocked background, the figures and objects in Clarks paintings vibrate with contrast and an energy of their own.
Clark is considered one of Scotland's most popular painters for his unique yet classic style, rich palettes, and bold contrasts. One need not leave Scotland to experience the beauty of Paris or South West France; Clark's paintings transport audiences in an instant. Clark continues to innovate and push the power of his scenes with complex layering of perspective, active figures, and excellent execution of shadow and light.
Clark's chosen subjects, along with his graceful rendering, deliver a sense of place that is deeply entrenched in a love affair for the culture and so too, are we captivated by his painterly touch and fondness for these charming locations.
He has had many solo and mixed shows with Galleries in London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Suffolk, Norfolk and Oxford.
Michael, his wife Karen and their three children returned to Scotland in 1999. He now paints from his studio in Ayrshire which overlooks the River Doon.