Michael Praed was born in Cornwall in 1941 and studied art locally, at the Penzance and Falmouth Schools of Art. He taught painting and drawing in Penzance for nearly thirty years before leaving to concentrate full-time on his own painting. Michael lives in the fishing port of Newlyn and his studio has spectacular views over the harbour and across the bay to St Michael's Mount.
Michael's paintings of the Cornish coastline, ports and fishing boats have a distinctive personal style and are instantly recognisable. The strong, near vertical lines often that often pervade the work evoke those that are omnipresent in the granite cliffs and harbours of Penwith. Bright hulls of boats contrast with the natural sea blues and rust-coloured rocks that characterise many of the paintings. Michael's larger works tend to be in oils while smaller paintings are made on paper with gouache and pastels.
Michael's paintings have been exhibited widely in the UK and abroad for over forty years. He has held solo shows in London and across continental Europe. He is a member of the Penwith Society of Artists and a former Chairman of the Newlyn Society of Artists.