Michael J. McNeil studied art with an emphasis in painting at Southeast Missouri State College in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.  He took graduate classes in drawing and painting at Washington University in St. Louis.

His paintings are in private collections across the United States, in Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, Texas, and Washington. 

Paintings in corporate collections include:

• Pinnacle Actuarial Resources,
• Harmer and Associates, Chicago, Illinois
• Iowa School Board State Headquarters
• Interstate Center, Bloomington, Illinois
• Guthoff Mehall & Allen and Co., Bloomington, Illinois
• Sulaski and Webb, CPA