For all my life, I have been drawing, in sketchbooks, on napkins and envelopes, any where I could find the space. This is another talent that runs in my family. All of the Bailey's have music and art talent, and everyone either paints, draws, writes, sings, or plays an instrument. So I always had sketchbooks full of noodling around me.

In 1996 I went to an art store in Peekskill NY to buy a sketchbook and ended up walking out with an easel, some paints and a few canvasses. I good friend of mine at the time said "so that guy was a great salesman huh"! I'd never thought about painting before. I did two really terrible paintings at first, then for reasons I cannot explain I found my style on my third painting ever.

Due to a total lack of any formal art training I am not so good at painting small details like fingers or the keys on a horn. So I developed a style where I suggest the basic idea of an instrument and how it's played and leave the rest to the imagination of the viewer. That third painting I ever did titled "Upright Citizen" was purchased by the great bassist Charles Fambrough and was the original cover art of his CD entitled "Upright Citizen".

Since then I have had quite a few gallery exhibits and continue to sell a good amount of my work. The best part about painting for me is that I'm able to accept it for whatever it turns out to be. What I mean is if I have a song or play a solo I don't like it's PAINFUL, but with painting I'm able to just let it be and now worry about it. So this let's me just put it out there and not worry so much about what everyone else thinks.

Scroll down the window on the right to view some examples of my work. Think what you like and I hope some of you enjoy!