Michael McNaughton grew up on a farm in the mountains north-west of Graaff Reinet in the Eastern Karoo region of South Africa.

He had a typical childhood of farm life, hunting etc and boarding school in Grahamstown.

Nine years ago he began a career as a guide, working in the Camdeboo National Park and the Mountain Zebra National Park, and as well as on private game reserves and farms in the area. Initially he worked for the family tour and safari business, then went freelance, specialising in Game Drives, Hiking and Rock Art (the archaeological shamanic art of the San people). It was during his time as a guide that he began producing many sketches, which provided the foundation for his later works in oil.