Michael Rumsby is an artist whose history, philosophy and creativity are inextricably linked. I had the pleasure of interviewing Michael, staying at his home and studio in Southwest France, and writing about his work in the winter 2024 issue of I-M Inquisitive Minds. One year on, and it is truly amazing to witness the growth and professional recognition his work continues to bring. His latest project, a stunning coffee table book, A Life in Colour, published by Clarendon Fine Art, delivers nothing less.
Lavishly produced in rich visual detail and developed by two creatives from Clarendon, Kath Halford and Laura Acton, alongside Michael, it brings together personal and professional photography, reflective narrative and showcases his life, inspiration and creative journey.
At its heart, the book unveils Michael’s always-present curiosity with life and his sense of identity and belonging. It is a deeply personal tale, and through its carefully constructed chapters with titles such as ‘Pushing Back’ and ‘A Sense of Adventure’, the reader gets a true sense of how art has long been Michael’s way of making sense of the world and his place within it. He says about it, “I threw myself into my painting, which ultimately saved me”.
“I threw myself into my painting, which ultimately saved me”.
– Michael F. Rumsby
The creatively displayed pages show the beauty and tranquillity that he finds in his daily life. Michael’s knack is to store these visual images in his memory for later use in the studio. His extensive travels – where he has also gathered many inspirations from the fresh colours and varying light conditions are also evident throughout the pages. Michael loves colour, filtered through memory and imagination until it becomes something altogether more magical and symbolic. His constant exploration of the world around us, portrayed in the book, is described as his “artistic life source”.
Having spent time with Michael (and his husband, Lee) and getting to know him, and as a great admirer of his work, I truly appreciate how beautifully this book offers an insight into a rich, fully lived life and the story behind it all. Helpfully set out like a diary of his personal and creative journeys, it explores the depth and nuance of his work. Layered, expressive, rich with colour and light, his paintings are vessels of memory, experience and emotion; the art of a life well lived.
Pages from A Life in Colour, by Michael F. Rumsby, showing one of the artist’s main sources of inspiration, nature (left); and one of his finished paintings, Sway (2020), which has never been part of a gallery show (right).
My signed copy now has pride of place in my sitting room, and it will be through its pages that I will continue to bask in Michael’s wonderful use of colour, his intuitive approach to objects and the beauty that he sees in the world, and the uplifting feeling it bestows when you look at it.
Congratulations, Michael and Clarendon.
Michael F. Rumsby is represented by Clarendon Fine Art. Based in Saussignac, France, Le 1500, his work is highly textured using a vibrant array of mixed media, including acrylic, oil, pencil, charcoal, pastels and ink, composed of multiple layers and expressive brushwork.
Author: Linda Hunting
All images courtesy of the artist and Clarendon Fine Art.
Lead image: I-M Magazine’s own design from images provided by Clarendon Fine Art.
Portrait of Michael F. Rumsby (b/w) © Julia Liebisch.
Show Comments +