Michael Sanders Exhibition

Former president of the 45,000-strong international Society for All Artists (SAA), Michael Sanders was tragically killed on 3 September 2014 whilst cycling in Canada. During the last year of his life, Michael spent five months living in Gozo, where he fell in love with the island and its people. Michael was attracted to the warmth, vibrancy and lightness of Gozo, with its wonderful churches, landscape, villages and coastline. He painted some beautiful scenes for this exhibition, which demonstrate the special place this island held in his heart. 

This exhibition contains some of Michael’s best work. Enjoy Michael’s vibrant images of Victoria, Fontana, Mgarr, Xlendi and Mgarr ix-Xini. You will also be treated to images of Valletta, Venice and other places in Europe, as well as stunning portraits of cyclists. The paintings are in a variety of mediums including oils, acrylics, watercolours and pastels. His sought-after paintings are in private collections worldwide, including those of members of the aristocracy. 

Multi-talented and much admired for his skill both as an artist and as a teacher, Michael also published books on oil painting, acrylics, gouache and drawing, as well as on painting in styles as diverse as Cezanne and Van Gogh. His books have been translated into many European languages as well as Chinese and Japanese. Excerpts of his DVDs are shown regularly in many countries including Malta. Testament to Michael’s extraordinary skill as a teacher, this year the SAA have introduced a new bursary called ‘The Michael Sanders Bursary’, to be awarded to an art tutor nominated by his or her students for inspirational teaching. 

He also developed a demonstration technique that, uniquely, enabled him to paint large oil paintings from start to finish, in a single session. It was this ability that brought him to the attention of major European and American art material manufacturers, and for several years Michael travelled in the UK, Europe and America, giving lectures and demonstrations on the use of art materials, as well as tutoring painting holidays worldwide. Michael studied graphics and illustration at Plymouth College of Art, in the South West of England, winning an international award for design. Amongst other things, he worked as a freelance illustrator and designer on book-jacket illustration, lettering and logo design for commercial vehicles and aircraft, as well as numerous advertising campaigns.