Though he has been painting for years, people still stop former national cyclist Michael Phillips at events or on the road and express complete shock when they learn that he is also an artist—and a pretty good one, too.
Most know him from his days competing at the highest level, serving as president of the local cycling federation, and receiving a 2022 Hummingbird Medal Gold for his service to sport. But art was his first passion.
In fact, paint and canvas actually funded his career. When he promoted his first cycling event at 24, he sold a painting to Nestlé to cover the entire race. Eventually, he ended up generating far more resources through his artwork to rebuild the industry than he ever did as a professional athlete.
Chatting with Guardian Media, he recalls a funny story from his visit to the Queen’s Royal College Art Legacy Exhibition in July.
“It was quite clear that I had not done as great a job presenting myself as an artist on social media as I thought! I had so much fun watching people discover that all those works belonged to the same Michael Phillips. There were so many lovely interactions,” he shares.
“My fellow Trinidadian artist Alvin Clayton always jokes that I am a ‘mutant.’ So, when people ask how I manage to do all these things, I sometimes joke that I am a mutant!”
Perhaps the public disconnect is because his online persona was completely dominated by the track. However, during COVID and the social distancing that came with it, he had all the time in the world to tackle more complex subject matter while utilising time-lapse videos and other features. This helped people see his creative abilities.
“It is an amusing, recurring conversation when people discover this side of me.”
How did he get into art in the first place? The inspiration came from his mother, who was very skilled with her hands. She would sit with him, showing him how to draw eyes, noses and other details.
Then, around the age of five, his primary school teacher, Mrs Angela Dhanessar, told him: “You are going to grow up to be an artist.”
Reflecting, Phillips says: “I have bumped into old classmates from that time who reminded me that they always asked me to draw things for them to help with class assignments.”
His muse is everyday life. Having grown up around St James and Woodbrook, he became intrigued by traditional architecture—fretwork and all the handcrafted details on old houses. He also adored wildlife and admired exotic animals.
“Many times I would jump on my bicycle as a boy by myself and head to the zoo, back in the days when a ten-year-old could much more easily navigate the roads. I think it was only 50 cents to go to the zoo, which I realise makes me sound quite old!” he laughs.
Depending on the scale and complexity of the piece, Phillips focuses heavily on fine brushwork. It’s a skill in high demand: his private commissions start at $300 and reach into the thousands, with prices depending on size, subject matter and execution.
“101 Art Gallery and Horizons Art Gallery provided major guidance in terms of setting my prices over time.”
Expanding into large-scale mural projects recently, he completed two major commissions for the new Starbucks in Diego Martin and Sails Restaurant in Chaguaramas. Private clients most frequently request macaws and hummingbirds, as well as his popular underwater scenes.
As his artistic career continues to grow, we asked him: what’s next?
His main goal is to be more consistent and to take on more challenging projects, though he’s not quite sure what that looks like yet. Ultimately, when someone looks at his work, Phillips hopes they feel joy.
“I want to make people smile. I want them to walk up close to see all the brushstrokes and wonder how thin a paintbrush was used for a particular detail,” he reflects. “I hide little elements within the canvas so viewers feel a sense of discovery—like playing a game of hide-and-seek. It is my way of building a relationship with them.”
