Biographies > Michael Cleary

Michael Cleary was introduced to watercolour painting during his last years at grammar school in England. Since then he has studied oil painting, design and composition as well as various crafts. Cleary deliberately did not take any instruction in watercolour. He wanted to work out his own methods and evolve his own symbols. He works as much as possible out of doors in front of his subject no matter the weather. This way he feels he can create fresh work full of detail. Each painting often requiring several days is a unique reaction to the subject over time with the change in light and weather conditions. His two watercolours in the collection of Brady Lake mine (Brady Lake, and Head Frame North of Brady Lake) are good examples of this.

Cleary began a full-time painting career in Muskoka, Ontario, where he has his own studio and gallery. Most of his subjects are found among the rocks, lakes, and farm lands of Muskoka. He has also travelled from coast to coast and up to the arctic coast in search of fresh challenging subjects.

In 1977 he was elected a member of the Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour and in 2006 Cleary was elected a Life Member.