The Watchers

 

 

A technically brilliant, large format science fiction and space exploration painting by the American artist, illustrator and writer Raymond Bayless. This precise and detailed view shows an underwater space station with glowing jellyfish and Atlantis-like lost underground city. Stylistically similar to the works of John Berkey, the artist was a friend of pioneering science fiction writer and collector Ray Bradbury. A Bayless painting for Arkham House for H.G. Wells "War of the Worlds" recently turned up at an auction of the estate of Bradbury with an opening bid of $17,500, the lot went unsold. In fine condition in simple gold wood frame, a recent Brentwood California estate find. We have several works currently available by this artist please inquire directly if interested.

 

 

 

The artist died in 2004 - here is his L.A. Times Obituary :

Raymond Gordon Bayless, 84, a landscape painter whose works hang in the National Air and Space Museum and other public buildings, and author on parapsychology, died May 25 at his Los Angeles home of natural causes.

Bayless was born in Oakland and spent most of his life in Los Angeles, where he learned to paint by studying paintings in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. He provided his works to the federal government, contributing scenes of ships and landscapes to the Air Force, Navy, State Department and the Pentagon.

Bayless, who also painted science fiction and fantasy scenes, created a half dozen book jackets for Arkham House Publishers Inc. Science fiction writer Ray Bradbury in 2000 called his fantasy and landscape paintings "truly excellent."

Bayless published a half dozen books on parapsychology and collaborated on others: "The Enigma of the Poltergeist," "Animal Ghosts," "Experiences of a Psychical Researcher," "The Other Side of Death," "Apparitions and Survival of Death" and "Voices from Beyond."