Born and raised in Livingston, Montana near Yellowstone National Park, Michael Coleman paints serene western landscapes that are realistic but convey personal emotion. He signs his paintings "M.L." to minimize confusion with his contemporary, Michael Coleman of Utah.

His father was a forest ranger, which gave him much appreciation for his natural surroundings which he began painting as a youngster. In college, hating non-objective art, he majored in accounting to avoid the pressure of teachers pushing a style that seemed inappropriate for him. He was in the Army for two years and then spent eight years with a public accounting firm while painting in the evenings. In 1975, he moved to Denver and in 1982 to Bremerton, Washington, makin...