Emerging Artists | Mark Andrew Bailey - Southwest Art Magazine

Mark Andrew Bailey, Emerge, oil, 24 x 36.

This story was featured in the January 2017 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art January 2017 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.

Mark Andrew Bailey refuses to be pigeonholed when it comes to defining his style. After earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, Bailey has been working steadily, using the tools and techniques he learned about there and implementing them to define his own artistic style. “I’m a big proponent of learning the fundamentals, then practice and practice to find out what works for you,” he says. “Get in front of the canvas and experiment.”

The artist’s background in watercolor, graphic design, and art direction all impact his work. “Working in watercolor forces you to design every shape you put down. You need to know where you’re going early on,” he says. The artist finds that with oil paints he can create complexity through layers of paint and a variety of textures and edges. Using a music analogy, he compares the brush stroke to a note, and the way each note is played is what creates the complexity or interest in a piece.

: Mark Andrew Bailey, Interlude, oil, 30 x 40.

: Mark Andrew Bailey, Plein Air, oil, 30 x 20.

: Mark Andrew Bailey, 123 King, oil, 36 x 24.

: Mark Andrew Bailey, Aviano, oil, 30 x 24.

: Mark Andrew Bailey, King St. Cruiser, oil, 30 x 24.

: Mark Andrew Bailey, Laid Back, oil, 30 x 20.

Bailey works in a variety of genres; interiors, still lifes, figurative works, and landscapes are all found in his oeuvre. But there is an underlying current in his subject-matter choice. “I’m drawn to the human element and subject matter that is easily relatable,” he says, then adds, “A lot of art has gone negative and dark, but I have always wanted to create things that bring people joy.”

While Bailey has been turning heads on a national level, winning Best of Show at the 2015 Governor’s Art Show in Loveland, CO, is extremely meaningful to the Loveland native. “I grew up here,” he says. “Going to the show is what exposed me to people who were doing this for a living. Now to be back in Colorado and to be eligible and then accepted into the show, let alone to win this award, it feels like I’ve come full circle.” Bailey’s work can be found at LePrince Fine Art, Charleston, SC; Gallery 903, Portland, OR; Dean Day Gallery, Houston, TX; Abend Gallery, Denver, CO; and Columbine Gallery, Loveland, CO. —Laura Rintala