Although this talented artist in his early 60's has been based in San Miguel de Allende for the last few years, he was a long time Seattle resident before moving to Mexico. Kleimo's background in the Pacific Northwest, and San Francisco before that, logically lead to a career as a painter, having worked as a graphic designer, art director, technical illustrator and even owning an advertising agency. These many creative achievents are not surprising considering that he had previously received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland. However, Mike has also tried his hand at many occupations during his life including stints as a carpenter/cabinet maker, commercial fisherman, welder, construction engineer, and supervisor of projects from bridges to high rise apartment buildings. This diverse background is mirrored by the varied subjects and locations featured in Kleimo's paintings.

Although Mexico in general and San Miguel de Allende in particular have become major focuses during the past few years, this talented artists continues to produce images from Paris, California, Alaska and Washington State and his subjects range from people to boats to villages to ruins of colonial churches, to mention a few. The artist also seems to have two different styles of painting, one being a representational approach that combines a feeling of impressionism with the hint of an architectural rendering. However, Mike can also favor a style in some of his work that comes closer to magical realism. An example might be his painting entitled, "El Bailar Con Catrina" which portrays a man dancing with a lady skeleton wearing high heeled shoes and a dress. Another painting shows a contorted and compressed vision of a section of downtown San Miguel de Allende that has the humorous feeling of a caricature while accurately conveying the feeling of a steep hill town. Even the title, "Calle Arriba Abajo/Street Above Below," captures the light hearted feeling and humor.