I was born in the Melbourne suburb of Oakleigh and have lived in Gippsland since 1990.

I work primarily with acrylics and I often incorporate pastel, charcoal and collage to create paintings which are colourful, lively and rich in texture.

I am inspired by my own experiences and observations both past and present and, although I live in the country, I am frequently drawn back to the city for inspiration and to explore the many faces of Melbourne’s urban environment. The streets of Melbourne provide endless source material for me.

Some of my favourite subjects include railway stations, dilapidated buildings, pubs, cafés and other structures; some are well known icons but others that are not so familiar are just as interesting to me.

I am very passionate about the local music scene and this is a recurring theme in my work and I also enjoy painting portaits, abstracts and still life.

My main influences are Pop Art, realism, street art, and Australian contemporary art. Some of the artists who inspire me are Albert Tucker, Sidney Nolan, Howard Arkley, Bill Young, Nathan Taylor, Daniel Greene, Jeffrey Smart and Edward Hopper.

I have had a number of solo and group exhibitions in Victoria and interstate and I have a Certificate 1V in Visual Arts and Diploma of Arts with credits and distinctions in painting and drawing. In 2017 I collaborated with Kim Volkman to edit and ppulish his autobiography, “The Devil Won’t Take Charity” and earlier this year we collaborated agin on KIm’s second book, “For Those That Dance With The Skeleton.”

http://www.facbook.com/VolkmanBailey2017/ In November of this year I wrote and self published my own book, “Blues POrtrait – A profile of the Australian blues scene.”