Born in Manchester, England in 1962, Mike Jackson was raised in a working class family. Despite his childhood interest in art, Jackson felt that he needed a career to “fall back on.” He worked as a butcher for a period of time, but eventually decided to explore a more artistic path by becoming a graphic designer. He taught himself graphic design on his computer, and landed a job in the field of commercial art. Jackson worked in commercial art for twelve years, all the while developing his own style of illustration. At first, Jackson painted primarily in watercolors, but was convinced to try acrylics at the suggestion of a friend. Jackson has since cultivated a repertoire of much loved characters for his quirky paintings.

Jackson claims that his art is influenced by L.S. Lowry, his grandfather’s friend, and says that most of his inspiration comes from his family and the memories of he and his wife as teenagers. Always drawn to the quirky and offbeat, Jackson is often struck with an idea while driving down the road in Somerset, where he currently resides. As Jackson explains, “I have no formal training in art, so I have had to learn by my own mistakes, yet I would have it no other way, as I feel that this is the best way of developing your own technique.”