‘Keith Bayliss ‘ work is figurative and expressive – his motif, the human figure in the landscape. He works in a variety of mediums: pencil and ink on paper, oil on canvas, relief printing and more recently, small mixed media sculptural constructions’

“Bernard turned up to take photographs of me again, as in his words “an older artist”

We first met when I was organising the first Ceri Richards Festival, I was then Community Arts Officer at the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery. Bernard was looking for an opportunity to use his photographs of Richards in his studio. The outcome was an opportunity for me to purchase, for the gallery, the photos of Richards and additional photographs of the wonderful small circle of artists and musicians associated with Dylan Thomas, who then became known as the Kardomah Gang.

Bernard’s “obsession” with the making of images of creatives, living and associated with Wales is now legendary. What many do not realise is that in his journeying through the landscape, studio to studio, Bernard has brought together artists and created opportunities.

Here he is again, this time in my kitchen, asking me what I am up to and I explain the drawings I found myself making in response to the troubles we are all sharing. I talk of an “installation” I want to create for a “Field of Souls”. Bernard immediate response was to offer ideas for who to contact and where to show. That’s Bernard.”

Words by Keith Bayliss

Swansea, September 2021

Hortus Conclusus / The Enclosed Garden by Keith Bayliss. 

You can learn more about Keith Bayliss’ practice via www.keithbayliss.co.uk