Michael Sydney Kaplan was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario. At birth, he was given the nickname Mickey, and that has been with him ever since. His extended family includes a number of professional artists, actors, authors and politicians. The “Arts” are in his genes. At the age of 7 or 8, he was enrolled in painting classes at The Art Gallery of Ontario upon the insistence of his aunt, Chip Feldman, a professional artist herself.

 

Mickey took a 40 year detour to obtain his Bachelor of Commerce degree, got married to the love of his life, Phyllis Miller, and became a Chartered Accountant. Over the years, his artistic teachers and mentors have included Jay Dampf and Sam Kara at Dreams Studio, and currently, Gelen Golrokh at Art Wish.

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On his first trip to Paris in 1962, Mickey fell under the spell of the Impressionists. He loves the light, bright images and revealing brush strokes of Monet, Manet, and Pissarro, as demonstrated in his work. His many travels and Jewish heritage were also significant influences on his work.

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Mickey's work has been distributed to friends and family as well as a number of his accounting clients. Much of his work is part of the permanent collection at The Baycrest Centre. He has participated in a number of group exhibits, and he has donated paintings to numerous fundraising endeavours. The exhibit in September of 2026 at The Forest Hill Branch of the Toronto Public Library is his first solo show.

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