B I O G R A P H Y The artworks of Clayton Bass are informed by his passion for nature and astronomy as well as the profound physical beauty and cultures of the Southwest, intersecting with his imagination and dreams. Stylistically, his works explore realism seen through the lens of surrealism, symbolism, and allegory. Viewers are invited to create their own story in response to the visual elements. His current painting series, Waking Dreams, incorporates narrative elements referencing the cycles of nature and the passage of time, infused with a strong sense of place. Clayton received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting from East Carolina University and completed the Empire State College (SUNY) Studio Program in New York City, where is apprenticed with abstract expressionist painter Michael Goldberg. Bass is an enthusiastic traveler and enjoys exploring New Mexico and the Southwest with his wife Hester, a children’s author. (www.hesterbass.com) They have two adult children who share their sense of adventure. Bass has been affiliated with galleries in Santa Fe, New Mexico; Tucson, Arizona; Boulder, Colorado; Huntsville and Birmingham, Alabama; Atlanta, Georgia; Ocean Springs, Mississippi; Chattanooga, Tennessee; and New York City. His work is included in private, corporate, and university collections in eleven states. A solo exhibition, Rhythms of Life, was presented at the Tucson Botanical Garden's Legacy Gallery simultaneously with a featured artist exhibition at Bill Hester Fine Art in Santa Fe in 2022. The group exhibition, Nature and Art, proposed and co-curated by Bass, opened in 2018 at Santa Fe Community Gallery. Bass has curated more than a dozen exhibitions in various media in venues in Santa Fe and the southeastern U.S.