Michael H. Lewis was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1941.  He received his MFA in painting from the  State University College, New Paltz, New York in 1975, and an MA in painting from Michigan State University in 1964.  He  came to the University of Maine in 1966.  In addition to teaching painting and drawing, he has served as Chairperson of the art department for twelve years (1975-1981 and 1987-1993), and as Acting Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences (1981-83).  He is still teaching full time.

Lewis exhibits his paintings on a regular basis in Portland, Maine.  Twenty seven of his paintings, drawings, and prints are included in the collection of the Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA.  His work is also in the collections of the Albertina Museum, Vienna, Austria; the Portland Museum of Art, Portland, Maine; Colby College Museum of Art, Waterville, Maine; and others.

His paintings have been acquired for numerous corporate collections including; Sheppard Pratt  Health Systems, Baltimore, MD; London Fog Corp., Eldersburg, MD; Merck and Co., New Jersey; Columbia Pictures Entertainment Corp., New York City; General Foods Corp., White Plains, NY;  Union Mutual Life Insurance Co., Portland, ME; and others.

Lewis paints with an unusual turpentine wash (with oils) technique.  His images are based on the Maine landscape. He uses qualities of light, space, color, and weather conditions to evoke a mystical, inward looking experience in the viewer.