Michael Parker was born in Melbourne and gained his interest in the arts from his artist mother.
As a boy, he grew up with paints and palettes in his hands, but it wasn�t until he moved to London in his late 20s that the desire to paint full-time seized him.
In 1998 he was commissioned to paint Australian cricketing great, Sir Donald Bradman, walking on to the MCG in 1937 - a painting that was made into a limited edition print, with the Don signing 20 of them before his death. Prime Minister John Howard has one, as does the Melbourne Cricket Club.
In 2006, a visit to Goolwa and Middleton, Michael collected items from the local beaches and incorporated them into his artworks, giving the canvas a unique and sculptured feel. Layering, wiping and scraping back the painted canvas creates interesting layers of colour and texture to build up the structure of his paintings.