Born in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, Michael Vincent has been a painter all his life. After spending a year at the Chelsea School of Art in London he spent a period of time living and painting in Finland. He returned to London in 1970 to continue his studies which culminated in the award of a Masters degree (University of London) in 1979. He taught art in various places for some years until establishing his first studio in Suffolk in 1987. From 1991 until 1993 he lived and worked in New Zealand. A further period of painting in Suffolk was followed by the move to Somerset in 1998 and the opening of a studio in Walton near Glastonbury. After a period of challenge and contemplation after the death of his beloved wife Kaisa in 2001 he moved to Glastonbury. In 2006, as founder and custodian of the AshTat Centre for Creative Living, a life-long ambition is fulfilled and a sense of purpose and direction motivates the artist's life.

Michael specializes in gouache and oil painting. He has exhibited widely and his paintings and prints are in collections throughout Europe, USA, Canada, Australia, Japan and New Zealand. He writes, broadcasts and facilitates workshops on visual art. He was awarded membership of The United Society of Artists in 1996.

His work at Osho Leela and the Shekinashram, using his Sannyasin name Tathagat, led to the development of his "Created in Meditation" programme now at the heart of the teaching of the AshTat Centre. In a beautiful meditative environment these workshops are designed to encourage in participants the confidence to embark upon a journey of creative liberation and empowerment.