Michael Smiroldo was born in New Orleans in 1946, not far from the French quarter and Bourbon St. & the birthplace of jazz. 

He became interested in art at an early age, especially the works of those who veered from classical technique such as the impressionists - Van Gogh,Gaguin, Lautrec, etc. the light worshipers, those who would seek out a deeper knowledge of its essence and improvise with pigment, the light plays, their values and intensity manipulations. 

His goal:  to reproduce the illusions that light creates.   Just as the jazzman veers from classical technique and improvises with tone and value changes to create their illusions that we call jazz.  

It was through his viewing of these musicians playing their songs, he realized that they and the things around them exist to the eye only because of the various light sources that create them.  It is their illusions that he tries to recreate with his paintings.  It is for this reason that his work has been collected by admirers from both here and abroad, including celebrities from the entertainment and sports world.