about

I'm a commercial artist. Often when I tell people that they do the "huh"? doggy head-tilt, so here's what that means: I create commercial art for books, products, designers, ad agencies, musicians, publishers, and movie trailers. Some of my work is for kids, some of it isn't.

My images start with the pencil, and finish as digital collages, monoprints, and screen prints. I love bold, bright color in all formats. My work has been recognized by Communication Arts, American Illustration, and the Society of Illustrators.

You can read some interviews with me here, here, here, and here.

Michael lives and works in Oakland, California with his husband, musician and programmer Andrew Cowitt and their dog Olive.

clients

• aids health project
• autodesk
• the bark
• bill graham presents
• camelbak
• camper van beethoven
• david carson
• chronicle books
• cisco
• converse
• deyoung museum
• the exploratorium
• farrar strauss giroux

• gingko press
• hewlett-packard
• info world
• levi strauss
• los angeles times
• macworld
• mccann erickson
• motorola
• rickshaw bagworks
• the national park service
• the new york times
• the new yorker
• nike

• oakland magazine
• the oakland museum
• pottery barn
• scholastic inc.
• san francisco chronicle
• san francisco int'l film festival
• sfmoma
• san francisco opera
• ten-speed press
• tricycle press
• the united way
• utne reader
• washington post

from abigail samoun, tricycle press:

"Tricycle Press has hired Michael to illustrate a number of its children's books. Michael brought a tremendous amount of enthusiasm and creativity to every one of our projects, contributing enormously to their success. His illustrations for author Betsy Franco's 'A Curious Collection of Cats' were vital in the book's receiving the Lee Bennett Hopkins Honor and an ABC Best Books for Children as well as an absolutely rave review from School Library Journal critic, Elizabeth Bird, who called Michael an "extraordinary up-and-coming illustrator" and predicted that the book could win the prestigious Caldecott medal for 2010.

Working with Michael is a true pleasure. He's warm, open, and responsive. He comes up with creative solutions to anything that needs fixing. The results always exceed expectations. Receiving art from Michael is a delight---his sense of color, composition, and balance is extraordinary. His characters are vibrant, distinct, and engaging. He brings humor, wit, and vitality to his art. I would highly recommend Michael for any illustration assignment."