Clifford Nolan Bailey was born in Miami in 1969. He graduated from the New York's School of Visual Arts (SVA) in 1991 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Now living in Los Angeles, he has gone on to develop an imaginative and highly individualized style of painting.

Bailey can trace the beginning of his artistic endeavors back to early childhood. With the help and encouragement of teachers and a supportive family, he found himself enrolled, and participating, in several South Florida programs for the gifted, until 1987, when he landed in New York City to begin his College training.

After graduating SVA in 1991, Bailey set his sights on Miami's exploding South Beach night scene, throwing "one-night only" exhibitions at bustling clubs and crowded pool halls, where he attracted the attention of dozens of local businesses and collectors who quickly snatched up his work, bringing him great exposure and promotion. To this day, Bailey remains a traveling artist, riding on the waves of his artwork to destinations all over the country.

He exhibits his work in galleries, nightclubs, boutiques, as well as several private homes in cities such as Atlanta, Birmingham, Nashville, Miami, New York and Los Angeles.

His paintings evoke the era and ambiance of the roaring twenties, but with a modern twist; from his portraits of musicians in fine-tailored suits to his sparse and dramatic street scenes, his work continues to be admired and acquired by collectors around the world, for more than 20 years now.

Clifford Bailey about his art:
"Music has always inspired me. When I see the faces of people under the spell of music, I have an urge to capture their expressions on canvas. There is an emotional intensity I find fascinating. And then there is the rhythm of painting itself, the way the brush slaps and strokes the canvas, the color combinations and shapes of compositions and form; it's all music to me."

Quotes:
"I first saw Clifford Bailey's work in Miami...I liked 'em a lot, especially the ones of musicians. So, I bought one....now it's the prominent painting in our house. He also painted our house...and cleaned my teeth. He's a full-service artist."
-Dave Barry (Pulitzer-prize winning author, humorist)

"Clifford Bailey's work is playful, intense, funny, twisted, easy to look at and hard to forget. His signature style is original and unique. When it comes to music painting, he has that rare ability to capture players and music in a way that can only spring from the soul of someone as passionate about music as his subjects. For me, his work is about feeling; it's a hysterical celebration of life and a subtle examination of human behavior, thought and action. It would be hard to look at a Clifford Bailey painting and not react to it. If great art is about communication, Clifford Bailey is, truly, a fantastic artist."
-Howard Fishman (Composer, guitarist and bandleader)

 

Solo Exhibitions:

Ivanffy-Uhler Gallery, Carlsbad, CA (2009) Ovvio Arte, Nashville, TN (2008-ongoing)
POP Gallery, Sante Fe, NM (2008)
ARTfront Gallery, Los Angeles, CA (2008)
Jazz in the Pines, with Keifer Art Gallery, Idyllwild, CA (2008-ongoing)
Coast Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA (2008)
Gallery 319, Santa Monica, CA (2007)
Riviera Fine Art, Santa Barbara, CA (2006)
The L2 Gallery" Seaside, FL (2006)
James Harold Galleries Tahoe, CA (2005)
Borsini-Burr Gallery, Half Moon Bay, CA (2005)
Coast Gallery, Laguna Beach (2004)
Gallery 319, Santa Monica (2004)
Borsini-Burr Galleries, Half Moon Bay, CA (2003)
Gallery 319, Santa Monica, CA (2003)
Shona Gallery, Laguna Beach CA (2002)
The Jazz Bakery, An Exhibit of Sketches, Los Angeles, CA (August 2nd - September 29th, 2001)
Bennett Gallery, Nashville, TN, (2001-2002)
Reed Gallery, Atlanta (2000-2002)
High Country Art, Historic Old Blue Ridge, GA (2000-2001)
Animal Farm, Miami (1991-2000)
Match, New York City (1998-2000)
Power Studios, Miami (1998)
The Miracle Theater, Coral Gables (1996)
Sun Trust Bank, Downtown Miami (1992-1993)

Restaurants, Boutiques, and "Club Shows", etc:

The Savannah Supper Club (permanent installation), Costa Mesa, California 2004
The Vic Jazz Club, Santa Monica, CA (2002- ongoing)
Cafe Tu Tu Tango, Miami, Atlanta, Orlando, Anneheim, Universal Citiwalk (1991-2001)
Contemporary Art Center, Art Party 2000, Atlanta
The Penn House, Atlanta (2000)
The Cotton Mill, Nashville (2000)
Symetry Bar, Norwalk, CT (installation)
Nemo's, South Beach (2000)
Mumbo Jumbo, Atlanta (2000)
Pacific Heights, Coral Gables (1998-1999)
Liquid Lounge, South Beach (1998-1999)
Lucy's, South Beach (1994)
Velvet, South Beach (1993-1994)
Jessie's, South Beach (1993-1994)
Brandt's Break, South Beach (1993-1995)
Les Deux Fountains, South Beach (installation)
The Id, South Beach (1991)

Group Exhibitions:

Bergamot Station - Schomburg Gallery Holiday Show, Santa Monica, CA (2004)
Art Expo, New York City (2003)
The Biltmore Hotel, Coral Gables (1996-1997)
Kennedy Studios, Coconut Grove (1995-1996)
The Fountainbleau Hilton, South Beach (1995)
The Grand Bay Hotel, Coconut Grove (1994-1996)

Festivals:

The Affaire in the Gardens, Beverly Hills, CA (2001)
The Brentwood Academy Artshow, Nashville (1998-2000)
The Magic City Arts Festival, Birmingham (1998-2000)
The Harding Academy Art Show, Nashville (1999-2000)
The Wesleyan Academy Art Show, Atlanta (1999-2000)
The Belle Meade Plantation Fall Fest, Nashville (1999-2000)
The Deering Estate Festival, Miami (1992)