Biography:
Bayou Gray (American, b. 1977) is an oil painter who was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. Although he pursued various forms of art all the way through young adulthood, (written, visual, and musical). He eventually conformed to social pressure and abandoned his artwork for a career in IT. Yet as the fruits of a “normal life” eluded him…
As for artistic style, he focuses on three aspects in all his pieces. Visual contrast, compositional mood, and applied energy. With the feeling that too much time has been lost, he spends his time in the studio, creating and learning, expressing his emotions with paint every day.
Bayou currently lives and works in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Statement:
I find myself intrigued by the human form. The slump of a shoulder, the refraction of light in an iris. The subtle shifts that tell a tale far more than words ever could. The breadth of my work tries to capture the intimate meaning of those moments and pour it back upon you. In short, I want the viewer to feel the piece, and not just see it. To that end, my tools of choice all have some meaning. I choose panels primed with tempura, as a link to those before. Since life moments are varied, precious, shimmering, and easy to tear, I paint on metal leaf. The palette I’ve chosen is based heavily in warm tones and transparent color, the luminosity of which gives skin tones the showcase that they deserve.
TLDR: I am Bayou Gray, I paint limbs on leaves, and I use the human form to convey emotion and find peace.