Born in 1945 in Novosibirsk. He lives in Elektrostal, Moscow region. After high school he studied at the Art school "Memory of 1905" at the painting Department. In 1975 he graduated from the graphic faculty of the Moscow state art Institute. VI Surikov (workshop poster Professor N.. Ponomareva), where his teachers were artists P. Rayner, M. N. Aleksic, O. M. Savostyuk.
Since 1975 a permanent participant of Russian, all-Union and foreign exhibitions. Together with artists by PetroChina L. I. and A. I. Solopov created mural paintings to art exhibitions in Moscow Manege. Since 1975, a member of the Moscow regional organization of Union of artists of Russia.
In 1995 he transferred to the Moscow Union of artists (Association of graphic artists of easel painting).
The work of M. A. Makhotkina are in the State Russian Museum, in the collections of the artists 'Union of USSR, artists' Union of Russia, Ministry of culture, the Museum of A. Gerasimov, Michurinsk and other, as well as in private collections in Germany, England, France, Japan, South Korea, USA, Thailand etc. countries.
