BASS majored in graphic design and fine art at Appalachian
State University. Post college, he aligned himself with
professional artists to gather insight.
“From there I started experimenting and trying differ-ent
things that no one told me, I just figured it out. A lot
of trial and error, seeing what works what doesn’t work, I don’t know,
maybe 80 percent failure, 20 percent success,” laughs Bass.
Today, his art is exhibited across North Carolina and beyond,
including galleries in Atlanta, Bev’s Fine Art, The Centerpiece
in Raleigh, and New Elements in Wilmington. Bass’s one consistent
element is modernism, and the reason pieces sell well at shows.
“The piece we sold was from his Journal series. They wanted a
contemporary abstract and the colors worked really well in their
space. They have it as the focal piece over their mantel. I’m particu-larly
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fond of that piece because it was one of the ones he used dia-mond
dust in so it gives it a little sparkle,” says Stacey Chapman of
Bev’s Fine Art, The Centerpiece.
What Bass does not like is to paint people — and so that is exactly
what he did.
“I forced myself to do what I don’t like to do,” he says.
He asked family and friends for their picture. He used a handmade
brush with a 6-foot-long handle and only three colors to paint their
portrait.
“Everything is very loose, you’re standing six feet away from
Primal 12, 36 x 36 inches, acrylic and sand on canvas.