Classic rock, Jimi, CSN&Y, Zeppelin, et al. Like some country, Sara McLoughlin, Trans Siberian Orchestra, Celtic.

Fiction, fantasy, adventure, anything which can stir my imagination and allow me to escape sometimes. Tolkein, Terry Brooks "Shannara" series, Tony Hillerman, Dan Brown, WWII history, any really good art book or Fantasy art collection like the "Spectrum" books.

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After a long career in another field I am making the transition in life to working at art on a full time basis. Art has always been my first love which I pursued seriously upon entering college and bolstered by garnering several top honors in exhibitions early on I felt I was on the right track. Life has it’s own quirky way of interceding but has now come full circle so that I may again court my real love.
Drawing is of central importance to me, especially so as most of my work is in a realist style. Making marks on paper which transform into shape and form is a magical process to me. Drawing skills are the core of being a good artist and I strive to improve upon them at every opportunity using them not only for preparatory drawing but also for finished rendering.
I have studied with some very talented artists, watercolor methods with Dr. Harry Wood at Arizona State University, spectacular life drawing sessions with Jim Garrison at Mesa Community College, Mesa, Az, and printmaking/drawing with my early mentor and friend (now sadly deceased) Richard Beasley at Northern Arizona University. From each of these gifted people I learned the value of working at honing your skills, of knowing everything about your materials to make the best use of them, and how to see as an artist and translate that onto paper or canvas.
I work in a variety of media but most of what I do is with watercolor, acrylic, graphite, and colored pencil. I enjoy learning new mediums and am always experimenting with ways to mix media to achieve the desired effect I am looking for in a particular piece. Though my style is more realist in nature I enjoy moving over into abstract work for a change every now and again. I believe that if you are not experimenting then you are not growing as an artist.
My favorite quote; “Art does not reproduce the visible but rather, makes it visible” is a fair summation of my goal as an artist. I invite you to view my gallery here and visit my blog, www.mbaileyart.blogspot.com feeling free to contact me for anything you would want to know about my art or just to talk about art in general.

Good coffee, dark chocolate, pecan sandies, cotton rag watercolor/drawing paper, new sable brushes, Arizona sunsets, good friends.

Pretenders, loud and insanely inane people, bad coffee, very cold windy weather.

Drawing, painting, woodworking, cycling, reading, photography