Michael trained and worked as a goldsmith and jeweller for over 25 years before turning his mind and hands to sculpture - an almost inevitable move since at the core of all his work, the creative drive had always been the main motivation.

The whole process of taking a basic idea through to a finished bronze requires the same creative drive and ability whether working as a creative goldsmith & jeweller or a sculptor and although Michael still produces jewellery, he finds the sheer physicality of the bronze art form more challenging and more satisfying.

Michael’s sculptural work to date covers the triad of African Wildlife, the Human Form and the Local Flora. He has produced works from the very small, often to use as door knockers or business card holders, through to large, stand-alone works of art.

There is an eternal fascination with the way in which a Bronze Sculpture is created - probably because the process has changed little over the 4000 or so years that Bronze art has existed, although the materials used have improved technically. The end result is completely dependent on the relationship between the Sculptor and the Foundry Master and on the fine interplay between the artistic endeavours of the sculptor and the heavy industrial techniques used by the foundry.

Michael  has always worked with Kim Goodwin at the Goodwin Foundry in Lidgetton, as have many KZ-N sculptors over the years, since his expertise and that of his team has had an enormous influence on the development of the Midlands artistic community. Kim built his Foundry in 1995, having previously trained as a sculptor and then worked in the Natal Technical College Foundry with Andries Botha and Etienne de Kock for 5 years.

The Sculptor creates the sculpture in clay - or in fact it may be created using any number of materials including wood, stone or metal, but whatever is used, the material has to be pliable and useable during what may be a very long period of creativity and refinement. Detail is critically important at this stage. When the creation is complete, it then goes to the Foundry, where the following processes are required to complete the project.