Michael Cox, FRSA
Michael Cox has had a life-long interest in the sea and seafaring in all its facets. He was raised on the rugged Dorset coast of England and first went to sea as a young cadet at age 15. He emigrated to Canada in 1974. He has served as a naval officer with the Royal Canadian Navy and served with allied navies on NATO operations.
At twenty-one he rounded Cape Horn on a voyage that followed the route of HMS Beagle. His experience of the Southern Ocean inspired his interest in the voyages of Shackelton and Cook. He now enjoys sailing his sloop Endeavour on the Great Lakes. These marine contexts provide a rich canvas for capturing the imagery, emotion and narrative of leadership and discovery at sea. This context shapes his interpretation of marine art as a medium for engaging and engendering learning.
During his career he served as Vice President of a major Advertising Agency and an Associate Professor, University of Guelph. He has authored several books and courses that integrate the narratives of Nelson, Shackelton and Cook. These are contexts of: leadership and discovery, Antarctic survival, cross-cultural encounter. He is developing a portfolio of work to illustrate his book on authentic leadership.
Michael completed formal art studies at the Berkshire College of Art and Design and more recently at Dundas Valley College of Art. He was elected a Fellow, Royal Society of Arts in 1996. He specializes in watercolour painting. His objective is to integrate art and narrative using the sea as a context for transformational learning. He became a supporting Member of the Canadian Society of Marine Artists in 2013.
He has been commissioned to develop a painting for the cruising award, Golden Horseshoe Yacht Racing Association in 2013.
