Skip to main content

Clay Johnson Paintings

American, b. 1963
Clay Johnson is an American abstract painter whose reductivist compositions explore the relationships between color, form, and texture. He lives and works in Laramie, Wyoming. Johnson earned his B.A. in studio art and art history from Duke University in 1985. Afterwards, he worked as studio manager for the painter Robert Natkin. Says Johnson, “Most of what I know about painting I learned from Bob.” The technique Johnson employs is extremely rigorous, involving, as he says, “pushing paint around with palette knives and drywall tools rather than brushes.” Johnson has exhibited in numerous group and solo exhibitions throughout the United States. His work is in the collections of the Kimpton Corporation and the University of Wyoming Art Museum, among others. The scraping and sanding creates a variety of different textures and leads to the emergence of unexpected forms. Because of the intensity of his method he prefers rigid surfaces, such as wood and aluminum panels, though he sometimes also works on paper and canvas stretched over panels. He prefers acrylic paint because of its fast drying time, which allows him to react quickly as the layers evolve towards a sense of completion.
to
11
4
14
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
29
29
20
5
4
29
29
29
12
11
31
781
720
712
697
29
Artist: Clay Johnson
Untitled (#706) (Abstract painting)
By Clay Johnson
Located in London, GB
Untitled (#706) (Abstract painting) Acrylic on paper - Unframed. The technique Johnson employs is extremely rigorous, involving, as he says, “pushing paint around with palette kniv...
Category

2010s Abstract Clay Johnson Paintings

Materials

Paper, Acrylic

Untitled 560 (Abstract painting)
By Clay Johnson
Located in London, GB
Untitled 560 (Abstract painting) Acrylic on paper - Unframed. The technique Johnson employs is extremely rigorous, involving, as he says, “pushing paint around with palette knives ...
Category

2010s Abstract Clay Johnson Paintings

Materials

Paper, Acrylic

Untitled 559 (Abstract painting)
By Clay Johnson
Located in London, GB
Untitled 559 (Abstract painting) Acrylic on paper - Unframed. The technique Johnson employs is extremely rigorous, involving, as he says, “pushing paint around with palette knives ...
Category

2010s Abstract Clay Johnson Paintings

Materials

Paper, Acrylic

Untitled (#705) (Abstract painting)
By Clay Johnson
Located in London, GB
Untitled (#705) (Abstract painting) Acrylic on paper - Unframed. The technique Johnson employs is extremely rigorous, involving, as he says, “pushing paint around with palette kniv...
Category

2010s Abstract Clay Johnson Paintings

Materials

Paper, Acrylic

Untitled 557 (Abstract painting)
By Clay Johnson
Located in London, GB
Untitled 557 (Abstract painting) Acrylic on paper - Unframed. The technique Johnson employs is extremely rigorous, involving, as he says, “pushing paint around with palette knives ...
Category

2010s Abstract Clay Johnson Paintings

Materials

Paper, Acrylic

Lorenzo’s Riddle (Abstract painting)
By Clay Johnson
Located in London, GB
Lorenzo’s Riddle (Abstract painting) Acrylic on aluminum panel - Unframed. The technique Johnson employs is extremely rigorous, involving, as he says, “pushing paint around with pa...
Category

2010s Abstract Clay Johnson Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Panel

Untitled 559 (Abstract painting)
By Clay Johnson
Located in London, GB
Untitled 559 (Abstract painting) Acrylic on paper - Unframed. The technique Johnson employs is extremely rigorous, involving, as he says, “pushing paint around with palette knives ...
Category

2010s Abstract Clay Johnson Paintings

Materials

Paper, Acrylic

For Henry Hudson (Abstract painting)
By Clay Johnson
Located in London, GB
For Henry Hudson (Abstract painting) Acrylic on aluminum panel - Unframed. The technique Johnson employs is extremely rigorous, involving, as he says, “...
Category

2010s Abstract Clay Johnson Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Panel

Untitled 559 (Abstract painting)
By Clay Johnson
Located in London, GB
Untitled 559 (Abstract painting) Acrylic on paper - Unframed. The technique Johnson employs is extremely rigorous, involving, as he says, “pushing paint around with palette knives ...
Category

2010s Abstract Clay Johnson Paintings

Materials

Paper, Acrylic

Untitled 560 (Abstract painting)
By Clay Johnson
Located in London, GB
Untitled 560 (Abstract painting) Acrylic on paper - Unframed. The technique Johnson employs is extremely rigorous, involving, as he says, “pushing paint around with palette knives ...
Category

2010s Abstract Clay Johnson Paintings

Materials

Paper, Acrylic

Lorenzo’s Riddle (Abstract painting)
By Clay Johnson
Located in London, GB
Lorenzo’s Riddle (Abstract painting) Acrylic on aluminum panel - Unframed. The technique Johnson employs is extremely rigorous, involving, as he says, “pushing paint around with pa...
Category

2010s Abstract Clay Johnson Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Panel

What I heard (Abstract painting)
By Clay Johnson
Located in London, GB
What I heard (Abstract painting) Acrylic on canvas - Unframed. The technique Johnson employs is extremely rigorous, involving, as he says, “pushing paint around with palette knives...
Category

2010s Abstract Clay Johnson Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

The Delegation (Abstract painting)
By Clay Johnson
Located in London, GB
The Delegation (Abstract painting) Acrylic on aluminum panel - Unframed. The technique Johnson employs is extremely rigorous, involving, as he says, “pushing paint around with pale...
Category

2010s Abstract Clay Johnson Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Panel

Untitled (#704) (Abstract painting)
By Clay Johnson
Located in London, GB
Untitled (#704) (Abstract painting) Acrylic on paper - Unframed. The technique Johnson employs is extremely rigorous, involving, as he says, “pushing paint around with palette kniv...
Category

2010s Abstract Clay Johnson Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Paper

The Admiral’s Wedding (Abstract painting)
By Clay Johnson
Located in London, GB
The Admiral’s Wedding (Abstract painting) Acrylic on canvas - Unframed. The technique Johnson employs is extremely rigorous, involving, as he says, “pushing paint around with palet...
Category

2010s Abstract Clay Johnson Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Untitled 560 (Abstract painting)
By Clay Johnson
Located in London, GB
Acrylic on paper - Unframed. The technique Johnson employs is extremely rigorous, involving, as he says, “pushing paint around with palette knives and drywall tools rather than brus...
Category

2010s Abstract Clay Johnson Paintings

Materials

Paper, Acrylic

Untitled 557 (Abstract painting)
By Clay Johnson
Located in London, GB
Untitled 557 (Abstract painting) Acrylic on paper - Unframed. The technique Johnson employs is extremely rigorous, involving, as he says, “pushing paint around with palette knives ...
Category

2010s Abstract Clay Johnson Paintings

Materials

Paper, Acrylic

What I heard (Abstract painting)
By Clay Johnson
Located in London, GB
What I heard (Abstract painting) Acrylic on canvas - Unframed. The technique Johnson employs is extremely rigorous, involving, as he says, “pushing paint around with palette knives...
Category

2010s Abstract Clay Johnson Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

The Royal (Abstract painting)
By Clay Johnson
Located in London, GB
The Royal (Abstract painting) Acrylic on aluminum panel - Unframed. The technique Johnson employs is extremely rigorous, involving, as he says, “pushing paint around with palette k...
Category

2010s Abstract Clay Johnson Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Panel

Truce (Abstract painting)
By Clay Johnson
Located in London, GB
Truce (Abstract painting) Acrylic on canvas - Unframed. The technique Johnson employs is extremely rigorous, involving, as he says, “pushing paint around with palette knives and d...
Category

2010s Abstract Clay Johnson Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

The Delegation (Abstract painting)
By Clay Johnson
Located in London, GB
The Delegation (Abstract painting) Acrylic on aluminum panel - Unframed. The technique Johnson employs is extremely rigorous, involving, as he says, “pushing paint around with pale...
Category

2010s Abstract Clay Johnson Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Panel

Andrew’s Refrain (Abstract painting)
By Clay Johnson
Located in London, GB
Andrew’s Refrain (Abstract painting) Acrylic on wood panel - Unframed. The technique Johnson employs is extremely rigorous, involving, as he says, “pushing paint around with palett...
Category

2010s Abstract Clay Johnson Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Panel, Wood Panel

The Big Spill (Abstract painting)
By Clay Johnson
Located in London, GB
The Big Spill (Abstract painting) Acrylic on aluminum panel - Unframed. The technique Johnson employs is extremely rigorous, involving, as he says, “pushing paint around with palet...
Category

2010s Abstract Clay Johnson Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Panel

After Midnight (Abstract painting)
By Clay Johnson
Located in London, GB
After Midnight (Abstract painting) Acrylic on aluminum panel - Unframed. The technique Johnson employs is extremely rigorous, involving, as he says, “...
Category

2010s Abstract Clay Johnson Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Panel

The Admiral’s Wedding (Abstract painting)
By Clay Johnson
Located in London, GB
The Admiral’s Wedding (Abstract painting) Acrylic on canvas - Unframed. The technique Johnson employs is extremely rigorous, involving, as he says, “pushing paint around with palet...
Category

2010s Abstract Clay Johnson Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

After Midnight (Abstract painting)
By Clay Johnson
Located in London, GB
After Midnight (Abstract painting) Acrylic on aluminum panel - Unframed. The technique Johnson employs is extremely rigorous, involving, as he says, “...
Category

2010s Abstract Clay Johnson Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Panel

Truce (Abstract painting)
By Clay Johnson
Located in London, GB
Truce (Abstract painting) Acrylic on canvas - Unframed. The technique Johnson employs is extremely rigorous, involving, as he says, “pushing paint around with palette knives and d...
Category

2010s Abstract Clay Johnson Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

The Delegation (Abstract painting)
By Clay Johnson
Located in London, GB
The Delegation (Abstract painting) Acrylic on aluminum panel - Unframed. The technique Johnson employs is extremely rigorous, involving, as he says, “pushing paint around with pale...
Category

2010s Abstract Clay Johnson Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Panel

After Midnight (Abstract painting)
By Clay Johnson
Located in London, GB
Acrylic on aluminum panel - Unframed. The technique Johnson employs is extremely rigorous, involving, as he says, “pushing paint around with palette knives and drywall tools rather ...
Category

2010s Abstract Clay Johnson Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Panel

Related Items
"Changing Seasons" - Red Over Blue Tribute to Mark Rothko in Acrylic on Paper
Located in Soquel, CA
"Changing Seasons" - Red Over Blue Tribute to Mark Rothko in Acrylic on Paper A bright abstract painting by California-based artist, Ricardo de Silva (American/Brazil, 20th C). Draw...
Category

1980s Abstract Expressionist Clay Johnson Paintings

Materials

Paper, Acrylic

A Case of the Blues - Abstract Expressionism
Located in Soquel, CA
A Case of the Blues - Abstract Expressionism An abstract expressionist painting in vibrant hues of blue swimming in multiple layers and colors, creating a work that is defined by d...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Expressionist Clay Johnson Paintings

Materials

Paper, Acrylic, Gouache, Latex

A Case of the Blues - Abstract Expressionism
A Case of the Blues - Abstract Expressionism
$1,320 Sale Price
20% Off
H 29.5 in W 21.75 in
Confrontation - line drawing women figures with white dandelions
By Mila Akopova
Located in Fort Lee, NJ
Interior design paintings. The artwork was done with acrylic, watercolor and white felt pen on black watercolor paper 360g. The works are 11,5 by 16,5 inches in size, framed (black) ...
Category

2010s Abstract Clay Johnson Paintings

Materials

Paper, Acrylic, Watercolor, Felt Pen

Mindbender - Abstract Expressionism
Located in Soquel, CA
Mindbender - Abstract Expressionism "G.D." A painting in vivid red that revels in a harmonious balance between gestural abstraction, geometric ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Expressionist Clay Johnson Paintings

Materials

Paper, Acrylic, Gouache

Mindbender - Abstract Expressionism
Mindbender - Abstract Expressionism
$1,320 Sale Price
20% Off
H 30 in W 22.25 in
La Mer 6
By Martha Rea Baker
Located in Santa Fe, NM
orange rust white blue Martha Rea Baker’s technique of choice is driven by her selection of mediums. She has successfully moved between the unique properties of oil and cold wax, a...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Clay Johnson Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Wood Panel

La Mer 6
$1,500
H 16 in W 16 in D 2 in
Through the wall --abstract painting, made in black, beige, grey and white color
By Mila Akopova
Located in Fort Lee, NJ
Interior design paintings. The work was done with india ink and acrylic in black and white color on Yupo paper. The work is 11 by 14 inches in size, framed with a styrene face on a m...
Category

2010s Abstract Clay Johnson Paintings

Materials

Paper, India Ink, Acrylic

Night Watchers: African American collage painting w/ Black figures, red pink
By Richard J. Watson
Located in Bryn Mawr, PA
"Night Watchers" is a collage / painting created from acrylic and collage on leather mounted on MDF panel with predominant red / pink / orange. The work itself is 24" x 22", framed to 24.5" x 22.5" in a narrow, simple black metal frame. It includes several photograph of Black figures. It is signed and dated along the lower edge. This is one of a series of five works -- see image gallery for additional works in the series. Each is listed separately on IstDibs, but I will combine shipping for multiple purchases. PROVENANCE: Exhibited in "Portals + Revelations: Richard J. Watson," the African American Museum in Philadelphia, PA, Oct 2021 - Mar 2022 & "And the Beat Goes On," Suzanne H. Arnold Gallery, Lebanon Valley College, Annville, PA, Sept - Oct 2022. "Most of my works are supported by memories of the past and suggested realities. Issues of social politics, ancestral references, and astral projections are presented with fragmented elements...
Category

2010s Abstract Clay Johnson Paintings

Materials

Leather, Acrylic, Panel, Fiberboard, Archival Paper

Shape 16 (2019) - Abstract shape, work on paper, minimalist, orange yellow
Located in Jersey City, NJ
Shape 16 (2019) by Ryan Park of Shapes Only Abstract geometric art, acrylic on 300gsm archival paper. Abstract shape innovated by the artist. Bright oran...
Category

2010s Abstract Clay Johnson Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Archival Paper

Elephant
By Wyona Diskin
Located in Aramits, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Wyona Diskin, American (1915 - 1991) Elephant Acrylic on canvas mixed with collage cut out paper, foam, Signed. Measurements: H 60 x W 50 x D 1.0 inches Wyona Diskin, an American p...
Category

1970s Abstract Expressionist Clay Johnson Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Foam, Paper

Elephant
Elephant
$5,809
H 60.01 in W 50.01 in D 1.19 in
“Mr. Melville’s Kitchen” Contemporary Pastel Toned Abstract Still Life Painting
Located in Houston, TX
Contemporary pastel toned abstract painting by Houston based artist Kristen Anton. The work features grey, pink, brown, and orange blocks of color accented with layers of brushwork. ...
Category

2010s Abstract Clay Johnson Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Panel

Naturally 3, neutral, framed, original contemporary art
By Juanita Bellavance
Located in Cumming, GA
“Naturally 1” 14 x 11 inches is a one-of-a-kind original, modern, contemporary abstract painting by Juanita Bellavance. In this highly expressive abstract work, Juanita combined ear...
Category

2010s Abstract Impressionist Clay Johnson Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Archival Paper

"A New Idea" in Blue - Figural Abstract Composition in Acrylic on Paper
Located in Soquel, CA
"A New Idea" in Blue - Figural Abstract Composition in Acrylic on Paper A bold abstract painting by California-based artist, Ricardo de Silva (American/Brazil, 20th C). Large blue and red brushstrokes form the structure of this composition, with a seated figure in the misty background. What appears to be a cobalt blue vessel...
Category

1980s Abstract Expressionist Clay Johnson Paintings

Materials

Paper, Acrylic

Previously Available Items
Dillon's choice (Abstract painting)
By Clay Johnson
Located in London, GB
Dillon's choice (Abstract painting) Acrylic on linen - Unframed Clay Johnson is an American abstract painter whose reductivist compositions explore the relationships between color,...
Category

2010s Abstract Clay Johnson Paintings

Materials

Linen, Acrylic

Dillon's choice (Abstract painting)
By Clay Johnson
Located in London, GB
Dillon's choice (Abstract painting) Acrylic on linen - Unframed Clay Johnson is an American abstract painter whose reductivist compositions explore the relationships between color,...
Category

2010s Abstract Clay Johnson Paintings

Materials

Linen, Acrylic

Dillon's choice (Abstract painting)
By Clay Johnson
Located in London, GB
Dillon's choice (Abstract painting) Acrylic on linen - Unframed Clay Johnson is an American abstract painter whose reductivist compositions explore the relationships between color,...
Category

2010s Abstract Clay Johnson Paintings

Materials

Linen, Acrylic

Dillon's choice (Abstract painting)
By Clay Johnson
Located in London, GB
Acrylic on linen - Unframed Clay Johnson is an American abstract painter whose reductivist compositions explore the relationships between color, form, and texture. He lives and work...
Category

2010s Abstract Clay Johnson Paintings

Materials

Linen, Acrylic

Untitled 565 (Abstract painting)
By Clay Johnson
Located in London, GB
Acrylic on paper - Unframed. The technique Johnson employs is extremely rigorous, involving, as he says, “pushing paint around with palette knives and drywall tools rather than brus...
Category

2010s Abstract Clay Johnson Paintings

Materials

Paper, Acrylic

Orchard #2
By Clay Johnson
Located in London, GB
Acrylic on wood panel - Unframed. The technique Johnson employs is extremely rigorous, involving, as he says, “pushing paint around with palette knives and drywall tools rather than...
Category

2010s Abstract Clay Johnson Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Wood Panel

Orchard #2
Orchard #2
H 24.02 in W 24.02 in
The Charred Sea
By Clay Johnson
Located in London, GB
Acrylic on canvas - Unframed. The technique Johnson employs is extremely rigorous, involving, as he says, “pushing paint around with palette knives and drywall tools rather than bru...
Category

2010s Abstract Clay Johnson Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Promenade #3
By Clay Johnson
Located in Fairfield, CT
Clay Johnson was born and raised in Durham, NC, where he studied art and art history at Duke University, receiving a B.A. degree in 1985. He then worked for several years as assistan...
Category

2010s Abstract Clay Johnson Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Panel

The Dig
By Clay Johnson
Located in London, GB
Acrylic on wood panel - Unframed Clay Johnson is an American abstract painter whose reductivist compositions explore the relationships between color, form, and texture. He lives and...
Category

2010s Abstract Clay Johnson Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Wood Panel

Note to Self #2
By Clay Johnson
Located in Fairfield, CT
Clay Johnson was born and raised in Durham, NC, where he studied art and art history at Duke University, receiving a B.A. degree in 1985. He then worked for several years as assistant to painter Robert Natkin in Connecticut and New York City. In 1998 he began exhibiting paintings from his first series of mature work, which was loosely grid-based, and was inspired by the paintings of Paul Klee, such as Ancient Sound. Since then Clay's work has been exhibited widely at galleries across the country. He began his current series of work shortly after relocating to Wyoming, and, while essentially non-objective, the paintings contain a sense of the wide open landscape of the American west. The new paintings can be seen at Elins Eagles-Smith Gallery in San Francisco, William Havu Gallery in Denver, and Pryor Fine Art...
Category

2010s Abstract Clay Johnson Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Wood Panel

Clay Johnson paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Clay Johnson paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing the collection of paintings to introduce a pop of color in a neutral corner of your living room or bedroom, you can find work that includes elements of blue and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by Clay Johnson in acrylic paint, paint, synthetic resin paint and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 21st century and contemporary and is mostly associated with the abstract style. Not every interior allows for large Clay Johnson paintings, so small editions measuring 16 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Deborah Bigeleisen, KOKO HOVAGUIMIAN, and Charles Eckart. Clay Johnson paintings prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $1,610 and tops out at $15,030, while the average work can sell for $7,990.

Recently Viewed

View All