Since graduating with a BA in Fine Art from Wimbledon College of Art in 2008, Michael has gone on to exhibit in group and solo shows across England and France.
In 2009 and 2010 he was awarded “Young Artist of the Year” by the Royal Society of Marine Artists for his work exhibited in a group show in the Mall Galleries, London.
Last year he was in the running for the Threadneedle prize and the Evolver Prize 2012. And this year was awarded the ‘Arts Charitable Trust Award’ in the Royal Society of Marine Artists annual exhibition in London. This, and the last two years exhibition in London were real successes, selling out completely by the end of each show and winning the trust of some international collectors.
Interested in nature and the re-evaluation of its painterly tradition, Sole’s work explores painting as a process using the great outdoors as a subject matter. To gain inspiration he places himself into the environment he paints, enabling him to bring thoughts, ideas, and the physical presence of the landscape back into the studio and onto his canvases. Often he spends months at a time observing his choice of subject matter, completely immersing himself in the task.