1997

Kip Forbes invited Michael to paint at the Forbes´ family ranch in Colorado called Trinchera. He also invited Michael to visit and paint at their Chateau De Balleroy in Normandy , France. Every year Malcolm Forbes Sr. had commissioned famous hot air balloonist to come and visit the Chateau for the annual balloon festival . Malcolm Forbes created the world´s first hot air balloon museum on the Chateau grounds. Michael did a painting looking out one of the windows in the Chateau. He painted a vase of flowers in the foreground and in the view out the window one can see some of the different hot air balloons floating over the Normandy landscape that Malcolm Forbes had commissioned . This painting is hanging in the hot air balloon museum now. Many friends of Mr. Forbes have been invited to paint at the Chateau including HRH Prince Charles.