Michael Coleman spent his childhood trapping, fishing and hunting all over the Rocky Mountains. He often carried a sketchbook with him. He decided on a career in art at a very young age and traveled broadly to find subject matter for his art. Soon, he was a prominent artist in Southwestern. At the age of 32, in 1978, he was given his first show at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center. Later, he had a chance to exhibit at Kennedy Galleries in New York and at the National Academy of Western Art. In 1999, he was the winner of the Prix de West Award for his bronze of a moose titled “September” that was exhibited at the National Cowboy Hall of Fame. The piece has since joined the permanent collection of the Hall of Fame.
His art is in many other collections some of which are The White House, Washington, D.C., Texas Commerce Bank, Houston, Mack Pogue, Dallas, Anschutz Collection, Denver, Corning Museum, New York, Burt Reynolds, Los Angeles, National Museum of Dubai, and many others. Coleman paints primarily in oil on gouache or board, but his work also includes bronzes. His paintings are muted in tone and rich in detail. His style is greatly influenced by Henry Ferny, George Inness, Thomas Moran, and many of the 19th century masters of the Hudson River School. He was also influenced by Carl Unguis, a 20th century animal painter. Currently, many galleries stock framed Michael Coleman art which come ready to hang because their demand is high.
