All Is Never Lost

When it comes to art making, at least in my experience, there is never a wasted mark or gesture or collaged element. I often work on a painting for months, trying this and that, and eventually it feels complete. It will then go out into the world in an exhibition or sold through my website or Open Studios.

But if it doesn’t go to a new home, I will reclaim it, and possibly, years later, I will start to paint it again. The layers of paint, collaged elements, different materials used, may get buried completely, or just a small previous color or texture might show through, which presents new possibilities.

“To Walk on the Earth #2” ©Amy Guion Clay. Recent version 2024. 14” x 11” x 2” Acrylic, toner on panel.

I love this about painting, that no mark or gesture is ever lost. It only adds to the richness and complexity as we continue on our way with it. This disarms any fear we might have when taking a bold step. There is nothing that is “ruined”, in fact, the history of the layered marks only brings dimension and a sense of pentimenti, layered marks of past and present.

In fact, the image above was just completed in 2024, painted over from the original version done in 2019 (shown below).

In the earlier iteration, I cut strips of a previous paintings I had done on Yupo paper and mounted them on to a cradled panel. I liked the abstract sections of the painting, which when cut into a horizontal format created a sort of disjointed landscape.

As you can see from the above new version, the strips of collaged Yupo paper, while painted over, gave an interesting horizontal direction that took me to a new place. In fact, I could never have thought to collage those elements for the new painting, and yet they are now essential.

“To Walk on the Earth #2” ©Amy Guion Clay. Previous version 2019. 14” x 11” x 2” Acrylic, toner on panel.

As you can see here there is nothing to fear in painting, because nothing is ever lost. There is only layered truths and courageous decisions that bring the authentic self forward into the light.

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