Today, whilst searching for good coffee, my three boys and I stumbled across a Craft Fayre in Boulders Cafe in Borth (we are on holiday this week).
Where arty farty people meet and exchange ideas
I love going to Craft Fayres because they can be very inspirational for my own creativity and also for motivation. Every now and then I also discover a new ‘favourite’ artist at these events, or during gallery visits (another example is Menna Angharad, the pillow lady, whose work I discovered recently at a gallery in Hay on Wye).
Inspirational pillow art
Today’s new favourite, though, is a chap called Mikey Bailey. He lives in Borth and paints Borth. I have painted many pictures of Borth myself, and the sea, so we have that in common. I find the sea a great source of inspiration for my art (although less so since I started my foundation degree). However, Mikey’s work is very different from mine. I love the simple composition, bright colours, and overall calming effect his work has on me. Perhaps it is the fact these paintings conjure up images from my childhood (such as Pigeon Street or Mr Ben). Perhaps it is that they are refreshingly different. Or maybe it is that his style is so vastly different from my style. I don’t know what it is, but I like them.
Borth at its best
Googling this man, though, and there is nothing out there about him. Who is he? What inspires him? Where did he come from? Why does he paint the sea? I don’t know. I don’t suppose it matters hugely.
I want one of these paintings for myself. Sadly, as my house is full to the brim with my own paintings there is no room for anyone else’s.
The house with no room for more art – which is nobody’s fault, not even the Romans
Indeed.
Other than his Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/MikeyBaileySurfArt), all I could find was that he’s on the crew of the Borth lifeboat. This page even contains a picture of the artist (in a helmet and life jacket…): http://www.borthlifeboat.org.uk/crew.shtml.
He plays for Borth United FC, as midfield or defence.