Mike Bailey

MOMA's Vertigo, 22" x 30"

Watercolor began as a kitchen table hobby for Mike Bailey in 1988, but soon consumed his every thought. Although he had been attracted to art all his life, his college degree was in engineering and he spent many years in the high-tech world before starting to paint at age 46. Primarily self-taught, he is driven and deeply passionate about painting. As he puts it, "I paint because I have to. I teach because I want to spread the joy I have derived from being a painter."

Always reaching to attain new levels of growth, he is continually experimenting and testing his limits and his visions. In Mike's words, "I think desire is ninety percent of talent. You are only as good as the amount of painting experience you accumulate. A lot of experience in anything leads to wisdom about that thing." Accordingly, he paints almost daily. Whether it is abstract studio work or casual plein air outings, he finds it difficult to point to a favorite subject or style, but his goal is to make "not seen before" work.

Blowhard II, 22" x 30"

Considered a very gifted teacher in the field of art, he teaches workshops -- intense, hilarious, and full of motivation and support -- throughout the U.S. and Europe. His course "Watercolor Beyond the Obvious" is a rigorous exploration of design and a discovery of personal artistic breakthroughs. Altogether, he spends about 15-20 weeks a year teaching groups ranging from beginners to advanced painters.

Slip Strip Abstract, 15" x 22"

A Cheap Trick, 22" x 30"

Mike has won awards in exhibits around the country and has been featured in Watercolor, The Palette, and Watercolor Artist magazines as well as several books on watercolor. His work is in both corporate and private collections throughout the U.S., Europe, and Australia. He is a Signature Member of the National Watercolor Society and is just beginning a two-year term as President of that organization (2010 and 2011).

White Blankets, 22" x 30"

Please visit Mike's blog and then hop over to his website for a look at his extensive body of work.

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Guy Magallanes

Two Bees in a Rose, 21" x 14"

Influenced by his Grandmother, Guy Magallanes paints images of landscapes and flowers -- subjects that we all pass daily -- but with heightened exaggeration for drama's sake as a result of his Grandfather's influence. He expresses how he sees each one -- full of life with a unique story to be shared -- as "images I get lost in and that take my breath away."

Guy counts the support and influence of his extended family as a catalyst in his development as an artist. He explains, "I grew up in the best creative environment a child could have. One of the best gifts I ever received was an entire roll of butcher paper at the age of five from my Aunt Celita. I made tons of drawings and some huge drawings, and the supply of paper seemed endless. She always had a painting she was working on in her kitchen, and to me that place was magical. And my grandparents had a huge influence on my character and how I see the world. My Grandmother showed me the gift of consistency -- to look for the surprises and regularity of each season -- and my Grandfather gave me the gift of innovation and wonderment. An avid storyteller, he made his adventures even more colorful each time they were retold."

Echeveria, 12" x 8"

Painting had always been a part of Guy's life as a hobby -- something to fill a creative need or a way to give a special gift to someone -- but after September 11, 2001, he realized that he wanted to change how he lived his life. Being laid off from a job he loved in 2002 gave him the opportunity to explore his passion for watercolor. He began taking classes, joined art groups and watercolor societies, and entered competitions. Elizabeth Kincaid became a mentor and friend after Guy took a workshop with her, and when he juried into the Redwood City Art Center, he met Joyce Faulknor and began a collaboration that has expanded into an exciting new venture -- Art2Art.

Alba Rosa, 8" x 12"

Building on the experience he gained giving painting demos for art societies, Guy moved into teaching when Joyce began working on her book for North Light Books and asked him to take over her classes. He now has a full teaching schedule of both weekly classes and regional and national workshops. His work was featured in both Splash 9 and Splash 10 (North Light Books), and he is one of 15 contributors to the book Watercolor Secrets (North Light Books, 2009). In 2007, Guy and Joyce won the West Coast Regional WAVE (Western Access Video Excellence) award for the first episode of their instructional watercolor show Art2Art. They have since taped 14 episodes which will premiere on May 8, 2010 on the PBS station KCSM-TV, located in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Koi Study, 12" x 15"

Passage, 18" x 37"

Please jump over to Guy's blog to find out more about his work and link from there to his website.

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