‘I never told a soul I was gay until I was 38’: How this painter’s coming out story inspired a work of art

Michael F. Rumsby always wanted to be an artist full time. In fact, that’s how he’s seen himself ever since he was a child. According to him: “We’re all born artists. When you’re a kid, what’s the first thing you do? You pick up coloured pens and draw. That doesn’t mean you’re going to turn out to be Picasso, but that’s what we do.”

After building a successful career in the world of PR and communications in the beauty industry for brands such as L’Oréal, Michael turned away from that ten years ago to focus on his true passion. At 54, he can finally claim the title of ‘artist’, but the journey to get there has been a long one. As such, he’s a fitting leader for the Business, Financial, and Legal category of Attitude 101, empowered by Bentley.

Growing up on the Suffolk coast, Michael was always surrounded by art of some kind. As a child, he was left to explore his creativity to his heart’s content. His work was noticed and his secondary school art teacher (among others) encouraged him to get his work displayed. At university, he studied art and French, and painted “prolifically”.

After university, however, he felt the pressure to get a “proper job”. A friend found him an opening at a Soho-based PR firm. What started off as an internship making awful tea and even worse coffee (his words) became “the most brilliant training ground ever” and before long he was moving up. He worked for other companies in London, before relocating to Brussels as managing director for a big American firm aged 28. 

“That’s when I started to get scared. Just in terms of ‘Oh my God, this wasn’t meant to happen. What am I doing?’” From there he moved to L’Oréal as global communications director. 

Although it might seem that Michael’s corporate career happened by accident, he nevertheless speaks of it in glowing terms. “I did a lot of incredible things and built teams worldwide. I travelled every week to different countries, it was great.”

“I look at everything as a painting. I can’t help it.”

The globe-trotting nature of his work also stimulated his creative mind, allowing him to soak up influences by osmosis. “I was always encouraged to go a few days early, stay a few days late, hang out in Tokyo, see what’s going on, understand the culture, fashion, art, food.” Despite being away from his brushes and canvases, Michael has always been painting, proving his theory: “I look at everything as a painting. I can’t help it.”

Despite his successful career, his yearning to devote his time to art never went away. Michael tells of a childhood and adolescence where he had quiet fantasies, keeping his hopes and dreams to himself. Being a successful artist whose work is bought and collected all over the world was something he could hardly imagine. 

“I never thought that I would get there, but it was always a dream I harboured in the back of my mind. Maybe that dream was more tangible than I gave it credit for. Perhaps subconsciously, I’ve always pushed to get to that — I think there may be some truth in that. But I almost wasn’t aware I was doing that.”

Growing up as a young gay man, like many of his generation Michael could not be open about who he was. Therefore, his art took on a greater meaning, as a tool for escapism as well as expression of what was really going on. Michael came out at 38. 

“I think that really enhanced my sense of imagination. I was always looking outside of my own reality. That played an important role in terms of my sense of creativity.”

He continues: “Expressing myself through paint — and through colour, in particular — helped me to express the joyous side of who I was and am today. [It] was a way of hiding a little bit. People could appreciate and understand and talk to me about [it] without having to talk about all the other things that I didn’t want to talk about.”

“The more confidence I gained, the more accomplished, apparently, my work became”

Today, Michael can discuss these things as well as explore them in his work. Since coming out, he’s noticed a change in his creativity. He’s become more confident in his subjects, with his choice of colours and the way he paints. Michael had already been selling his art privately in places like Dubai and France and his confidence was emboldened when gallery Clarendon Fine Art took notice in 2017. 

“The more confidence I gained, the more accomplished, apparently, my work became, and more bold, and in some ways, a little bit more experimental. But certainly the boldness, and the confidence comes through because of the evolution of this journey.”

What unites Michael’s corporate career with his art now is his conviction that business can be a force for good. He explains that the inspiration for this ethos came from working with Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop, in 2006, when it was acquired by L’Oréal. 

From Michael’s experience, there has always been a huge desire within the companies he’s worked for to give back to society, L’Oréal in particular. He remembers other companies trying to do the same in the 90s and early 00s. But outreach always had to be balanced with the interests of a company’s shareholders. Roddick was an exception and baked good causes in from the offset. 

“I never told a soul that I was gay until I was 38.”

This belief carries through to today. Last year, Michael partnered with the Attitude Magazine Foundation (AMF) to auction a painting at a solo show in London in December 2022. The money raised would be donated to the Switchboard LGBT Helpline, a vital service for many LGBTQ+ people. It’s one Michael wishes he had known about when he was younger.

“I wanted to do something that helped a community that I could relate to. I never thought that I had anybody to talk to. I held a secret. I never told a soul that I was gay until I was 38. Not one person. That’s a heavy burden to carry your whole childhood, your whole adolescence and into becoming a not quite middle-aged man at that point.”

As well as the AMF, Michael has also supported the Motor Neurone Disease Association, a condition his late father lived with until 1987. 

As well as making a living from art, Michael also runs The 1500, a boutique hotel shared with his partner, Lee McNeal. Based in a 15^th-century house in the village of Saussignac in the south-west of France, The 1500 offers guests a choice of private residences or individual rooms, seven in total. Guests can sign on for packages including art, food, and wine, as well as yoga and more. 

This venture came about after Michael and Lee met in Dubai in 2014. Michael had bought the property as a second home and the pair began discussing turning it into a bed and breakfast, which they went on to do. Continuing his theme of throwing himself into everything he does, Michael spent the first three years in the kitchen catering for up to 30 guests at a time. Coverage in the British media and a healthy spread of reviews on TripAdvisor have seen The 1500’s profile grow nicely. Michael and Lee won’t be short of guests any time soon! As Michael’s art became more successful and grew in prominence, he began to shift his focus accordingly. 

Michael’s goals for 2023 are about continuing what he’s already started, and this includes working with the AMF.

“I think as long as you can wake up in the morning and feel good about the day that’s ahead, go to bed feeling that you’ve actually achieved something for yourself and for someone else, whether that’s for a charitable cause, or your family, or your partner, that’s what life’s about. And that’s what’s important.” 

Attitude 101, empowered by Bentley – our list of our 101 most influential LGBTQ people – appears in full in issue 351 of Attitude, available to buy and download now

The rest of the Attitude 101 Business, Financial, and Legal list

Robin Moira White, Barrister and author

Craig Hassall, President and CEO of Playhouse Square

Kento Hoshi, Entrepreneur and founder of Job Rainbow

Cornell Verdeja-Woodson, Director of diversity and inclusion at Headspace and CEO/Founder of Brave Trainings LLC

Kylo Freeman, Founder of ForThem

Marty Chávez, Partner and vice chairman at Sixth Street

Vincent Jaskowski-Prowse, Senior global brand manager at Dove, Unilever

Rory McDonnell, CEO and founder of Cavalry Healthcare

David Mann MBE, Co-founder of Freehold and partner at Tuffin Ferraby Taylor LLP

Words Alastair James Photography Emilie Soler Photographie