Michael ONeill Cornwall and Isles of Scilly, United Kingdom

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I am a contemporary painter whose work centres on colour, form and symbolism through large-scale still life paintings. Working in acrylic, I create compositions where ancient deities and symbolic objects inhabit lush, foliage-rich environments. Through expressive brushwork and vivid colour, I draw upon still life traditions while embracing a contemporary, intuitive approach.

I am a contemporary painter whose work centres on colour, form and symbolism through large-scale still life paintings. Working primarily in acrylic, I create compositions in which ancient deities and symbolic objects are situated within lush, foliage-rich environments. Through expressive, painterly brushwork and vivid colour relationships, I draw upon the traditions of still life painting while embracing a contemporary, intuitive approach to composition and mark-making. My paintings are rooted in a process of contemporary myth-making, where motifs from mythology and the natural world are reimagined through a personal visual language. Ancient deities become archetypal figures carrying themes of transformation, protection, wisdom and renewal, while plants and symbolic objects act as vessels for memory, meaning and connection. These elements are brought together in imagined spaces where observation and invention coexist, creating works that balance familiarity with a sense of mystery. My practice is informed by sustained study at the Newlyn School of Art, where I have completed the Figure and Defining Practice programmes and am currently undertaking the year-long Studio Practice course. Through painting, I continue to develop a visual language that celebrates the materiality of paint, the emotional resonance of colour and the enduring power of symbolic imagery.