Amy Barker-Wilson, Painter, Tells Her Story

I paint as an exploration into the unknown with no idea of what is to come. With my dance background, I use bush-like movements of dance to create a beginning movement and very visceral expression of design, which comes from the body and the unconscious. 

  

From there I begin to receive and pass it on to canvas -  I just paint - I let it come through. Later, I step back and look at it to see what the ‘child’ has done and where 'mommy' needs to clean it up a bit, according to the principles of design and composition and the craft of painting.

That opens up to me something that knows more than this so-called conscious self and gets me to move something through from underneath – the deeper layers, as if I’m a more or less an empty vehicle. If I am lucky, I try my best to catch its drift.

I work in layers and with luminosity, keeping areas open and clean, letting an inner light come through from inside. At some point there is a constellation and something appears and clicks into place. It is not anything I try to do but the surprise of seeing it and the feel of complete balanced work is satisfying.

But it is not too literal - this flow allows the viewer to often see many things, different things - different views as if the painting were alive. It does live, I hope.

I find this work speaks of the emptiness and paradoxical nature of being: flying, within and without and the energy within could propel you away as if on a magic carpet; but it’s also grounded and humble, keeping the earth, water and sky relationship of the human being’s perspective.

I paint to relax and to balance myself, I go walking in nature, I dance, meditate, do yoga, read, and have a good time with friends! I have a rescued dog, Cody, an Anatolian femals shepherd; a seventeen year old kitty and a bunny, all of whom inspire me daily. I am also inspired by nature, and from the emotional stories I receive, from dreams and spiritual realizations, but none of it is literally painted.

For example, when I went to the Caribbean, I didn’t paint while there but when I returned I found myself painting with those blues and washed out highly saturated colors, which have become something people associate a lot with my work.

When I have had amazing deep dreams, people say I should 'paint them' but that’s impossible.  But years later I find images of those dreams creeping into my current artwork!  It must have taken that long to fully process and release back into the consciousness - bring back to earth. That is fun part, when they just show up on their own. 

To see more of Amy’s work, please visit her website at www.amberblue.org. Her work can also be seen at the Foundry Gallery, www.foundrygallery.org, the Art League ofthe Torpedo Factory, VA; the MFA (Maryland Federation of Art) at CircleGallery, Annapolis, Maryland, and by appointment at her studio in Bethesda, Maryland. You can also find her on Facebook at Amberblue Galleries.

This is Week 18 of 52 Artists in 52 Weeks. Thank you for reading and sharing Amy’s work today!