John Bayalis

My interest in painting is realism. The world around me has provided an infinite variety of colors, forms and textures that I have used for the sources of my work for the past 25 years. I have always had a preference for drawing rather than painting in terms of control and the use of line and detail. Watercolor has provided me with a medium that can be handled in a painterly fashion with loose brush strokes and washes or in a more controlled method as in drawing. Regardless of the hyper realistic quality of the subject, the surface still maintains the painterly quality of the watercolor medium. I believe in a traditional approach to the medium, using transparent colors and the white ground of the paper that produces luminous color, and a pigment interaction creating hues that give a lifelike quality to the painting. From the initial viewing distance the painting may look smooth and sharp focused, but upon a closer inspection of the surface the viewer can appreciate the paint application and the artistic decisions I have made.
I have explored a variety of subject sources in my career, some more traditional, others less so. The current body of work is derived form my interest in visual Americana, that is images that I feel are specific to our culture. I have chosen both still life and landscape imagery to interpret this vision, focusing on the vernacular. The interest is in the commonplace has always been an important element in my work. These newer works reflect some nostalgic elements; influences derived from my travels and a more reflective view of my past. The still life works are composed to bring the viewer actively into the work. The arrangements are informal and are arranged as if the viewer has just interrupted something that has happened or is about to happen in. The idea of human presence nearby the scene introduces narrative elements into the work. I hope to draw the viewer into the scene, and to become a participant and thereby more visually involved.
I like to vary the scale of my paintings and sometimes work on an elephant size 30" x 40" size Arches 5551b rag watercolor paper as well as standard size 30"x 22" 3001b sheets and 22"x 15" half sheets. I also work in a smaller format on occasion depending on the subject and composition. I am careful to work with permanent pigmented watercolor paint to insure the archival quality of my work and in presentation use archival backing and matting materials.