Michael J. Downs was born and raised on the beautiful west coast of Canada. In his early years he traveled extensively with his musician parents and was greatly inspired by the arts in Europe. Upon completion of his mandatory education, Downs initially pursued formal training in fine arts, but after two years transferred to a commercial arts program. He believed this was necessary to obtain the skill set he was seeking… versatility, and professional viability. Upon completion of the program he spent several years as a freelance illustrator where he was able to hone his skills in numerous artistic styles and mediums. This decision has served him well over the course of his career, as he is equally talented in oils, watercolors (often executing beautiful studies of his larger oil paintings), and acrylics. 

Despite working several years as a successful illustrator, Downs’ first love still remained fine art. So over a decade ago he decided to transition back to fine art with a focus on oil painting. He began with some local shows and a short time later he journeyed to the US’s third largest art center - Santa Fe, NM. Here he sought gallery representation for his work, and was successful on his first attempt. Since then he has established himself with several galleries in both Canada and the US, and is collected internationally. He also is often commissioned for portraits and has painted notables such as singer Ian Tyson and artist Robert Bateman.  

Downs’ work is now recognized for his portrayal of both life and light. He is fascinated with the complexities and challenges of portraying the human figure within its surroundings.   Light very often plays a primary role in his paintings and when questioned Downs will state that often it is the light that is his subject matter. 

 Currently Downs resides in a small town in Alberta. While he moved there with his wife and two sons to enjoy a more family oriented life, he has found an unexpected added bonus of consistent golden light, which just didn’t exist in Vancouver.   While he previously thought this move would be a temporary one, he enjoys it so much he is building a permanent studio.