Michael, the Artist
Born in 1972, Michael grew up in the communities of St. James and Woodbrook and demonstrated interests in art and cycling by his teenage years.
During this time, he continued to hone these abilities while receiving an education from Mucurapo Junior Secondary School (now Mucurapo East Secondary) and later Queen’s Royal College. Michael eventually synergized his talents by using his works of art to partly fund his outstanding cycling career which in turn gave greater recognition to his creativity on the canvas.
Artist: Michael Phillips
Michael Phillips is a visual and musical artist, sports promoter, motivational speaker, and a former National cyclist of Trinidad and Tobago. He has also served as a cycling administrator, Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee Executive Member and a recipient of the Humming Bird Medal (HBM) Gold national award for his contribution to the local society.
Much of his art centers on depictions of old architecture and wildlife and nature scenery through the mediums of water colours and acrylics.
AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE
Title: Purple Honeycreeper Male & Female
Medium: Acrylic On Canvas
Size: 16"x16"
The Purple Honeycreeper has a long black decurved beak that allows it to feed on nectar from flowers, playing a crucial role in pollination within its ecosystem, and measures 11.5 cm long. The male has purple wings, tail, and belly, as well as brilliant yellow legs.
Females have green upperparts and yellowish-buff underparts with green streaks. Purple Honeycreeper calls are thin and high-pitched. Its vibrant plumage, with shades of purple and blue, makes it a truly captivating sight and a true gem of the tropical rainforests.
Title: Ocelot
Medium: Acrylic On Canvas
Size: 28 1/2" x 19 1/2"
The Ocelot is a medium-sized spotted wild cat that reaches 40–50 cm (15.7–19.7 in) at the shoulders and weighs between 7 and 15.5 kg (15.4 and 34.2 lbs) on average.
The Ocelot is the only wild feline to roam the forest of Trinidad They are mostly nocturnal hunters.
Michael has put in a lot of details illustrating each strand of fur on the Ocelot.
Title: Channel-billed Toucan
Medium: Acrylic On Canvas
Size: 18" x 24"
Channel-billed Toucans have a longitudinal groove or “channel” along their upper bill.
The Channel-billed Toucan’s huge bill – up to 5.5 inches long – gives it (and other large toucan species) the biggest beak-to-body ratio of any bird in the world. Despite its size, a toucan’s bill is lightweight yet strong, allowing the bird to retain its ability to fly.
The Channel-billed Toucan is a frequent visitor to the Asa Wright Nature Centre.
Title: A Drop of Yellow
Medium: Acrylic On Canvas
Size: 23" x 31"
A Violaceous Euphonia in a bromeliad at the Asa Wright Nature Centre. There are several types of bromeliads in Trinidad and Tobago.
Adult Violaceous Euphonias are 11.4 cm long and weigh 14 g. The male has glossy blue-black upperparts and a deep golden yellow forehead and underparts. The female and immature are olive green above and greenish yellow below.
These are social birds which eat mainly small fruits and only rarely eat insects.
The Violaceous Euphonia’s song is a varied mix of musical notes, squeaks, chattering and imitation.
