Michel Pernès was born in 1943 in the small village of Burgundy. He quickly discovered his vocation for drawing, which he likely inherited from his grand-father, a watercolorist from Paris.

He graduated in 1960 from the Art and Architecture School of Chalon-sur-Saône. In 1961 he created his first series of oil paintings, which he exhibited in 1963 in the same city.

In 1978 he opened his own studio in Demigny a little village between Chalon and Beaune. Thanks to his wife and her baby daughter Laetitia they decided to make the difficult change from recreational painter to professional artist. Michel depicts their colorful journey day after day on the canvas. He was registered as a professional painter to the Maison des Artistes in Paris in 1983.

In 1986 he was welcomed with tremendous warmth in the United States of America, where his genuine artistic talent was acknowledged. He made several trips between France and the US between 1986 and 1992, presenting several exhibitions. The American scenery of Virginia, Maryland and Delaware inspired him and gave him the opportunity to add new colors to his palette. The golden brown was his selected linen primer, then  blue took over to be joined by shining colors such as pink and red. The state of Maryland honored Michel in 1987 and he opened his personal studio in Richmond, Virginia three years later.

Around the same time (1988) he opened a new workshop  in Santenay located in the middle of the wine region in Burgundy. He became more widely known in Europe and kept traveling to give new exhibitions. In 1987 he was recognized by the city of Paris with a bronze medal presented to him by Mr. Louis Leprince Ringuet as encouragement for his contribution to art.

Today the artist lives with his wife in a small village in the heart of the wine region. His in-home studio offers remoteness, required for inspiration, and helps maintain a well-balanced private life. The surrounding nature is a day-to-day discovery and allows for renewed inspiration. Burgundy is his favorite theme but other places have become subjects for his art - Provence in the south of France, Italy, Venice, Belgium, and Qatar. He was invited as a guest of honor in 1996 in order to paint, exhibit and teach his art in the Art School of Doha, Qatar.

Michel always travels with his drawing toolbox. Once in the peaceful atmosphere of his studio he selects some of the sketches to turn into paintings. His dexterity with the palette knife is almost a matter of lightning speed. A path, a boat, a city street, a camel...the painter works with fast execution and precision to transform naturally ordinary elements into a poetic and colorful journey. His reflecting water is an invitation to daydreaming and his bright colors are a testimony of his contagious joy of life.

Michel's paintings are part of a constant discovery process. Regardless of how long you have had a Pernès' piece of art you will always notice new details - another shadow, a different color, a silhouette.

Michel's paintings are sold and shipped to Canada, the United States, Europe, Brazil, the Emirates, South Africa, Qatar, India, Japan, China, Australia, New Zealand...