Mike’s life story is woven from threads of resilience, determination, and an enduring creative spirit. His formative years were shaped by the quiet beauty of California’s valleys and a fascination with the interplay of light and shadow fascination that would one day find its purest expression on canvas. Yet before his artistry could fully blossom, duty called him down a path where courage and perseverance were daily companions.

Mike Nelson, born in 1945 in Sacramento, California, continues to reside there with his wife, a Kauai kamaaina.