"Complementary" by Bayla Arietta
Missoula artist Bayla Arietta works primarily in watercolor to depict whimsical narrative renditions of every day life. Her works are on display May 13-June 30 at the Emerson Center Lobby Gallery in Bozeman.
Born and raised in the Hudson Valley, Arietta has been incessantly painting and drawing the people and environments around her since the day she could first hold a crayon. Her work is primarily in watercolors and depicts whimsical narrative renditions of everyday life. Pursuing a career in illustration, she has studied all over the world including Italy, Mexico, and the Camberwell College of Arts at the University of Arts London, and earned a BFA from the Hartford Art School in Connecticut.
She has extensive teaching experience in painting, drawing, printmaking, and bookbinding, and has planned and coordinated shows for youth and young adults with developmental disabilities.
Arietta’s work has been displayed in numerous exhibits and galleries across the country, including the Missoula Art Museum, the Arts Center of the Capital Region in Troy, NY, and the U.S. Botanic Garden in Washington, DC. Her illustrations have adorned album covers, product packaging and logos, and been featured in films, such as Allen Coulter’s “Remember Me.”
The artist often works with tiny brushes to create elaborate and detailed imagery inspired by intricate illustrated stories from her childhood. She uses paint, pens and water as a form of personal documentation, to immortalize to some degree, the people and places she has made connections with. Learn more at baylaart.com.
– Kristi Niemeyer