Go Ask Alice
![From the Alice in Wonderland series by Amy Guidry](http://www.artistcommentary.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/e15_alice15.jpg "\\"Alice and the Cheshire Cat II\\" by Amy Guidry")
Told you it was a busy week. I have another painting finished in my Alice in Wonderland series. This is another piece featuring the Cheshire Cat. I like cats, what can I say? The Cheshire Cat is perched in a tree above Alice as she is trying to decipher where to go. There are signs posted all around, which fail to give her any help in her travels.
The painting is on a 5" x 5" canvas and as per usual, the sides are decorated with the four card suit. One side has hearts going down it, one has diamonds, one has clovers, and the last has spades. All true to Alice in Wonderland form, you could say.
To view more of my work, in addition to other series, go to www.AmyGuidry.com
New Painting
![From the New Realm series. Copyright Amy Guidry 2009](http://www.artistcommentary.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/ft-renewal.jpg "\")
Lots going on this week, so I am posting yet again. Making up for lost time, right? I have a new painting finished. It is from the New Realm series. It's called "Renewal" and it is 48" x 24." This will be in my upcoming solo exhibition at the Schepis Museum in Columbia, LA.
The piece features the heroine of the series as well as the butterflies, albeit in their cocoon stage. One of the butterflies does break free from the cocoon. Dew drops are interspersed on the branch as well. The cocoons and the dew drops represent morning, or renewal, the start of a something new.
You can view this piece, in addition to the rest of my series, on my website www.AmyGuidry.com. You can also view a new video of my work on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uL3H_rKW1k which features detail shots of my work in addition to the meanings behind the paintings.
Getting Up to Speed
I'm a little slow to join most of society, but now I can offically say that I have a Facebook page. I must admit I did not think that it was of great significance to join such a site, given the fact that I'm on the web in many other places (i.e. www.AmyGuidry.com, www.WallyWorkmanGallery.com, Myspace, ArtistsSpace, THIS blog, ...) However, being on one more website certainly never hurt anyone. What I didn't realize, however, was that everyone is on Facebook. And I mean everyone. People I haven't seen in decades (yes, I'm that old).
In addition to posting some of my artwork and my new video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uL3H_rKW1k), I have also posted photos of family, friends, and me, of course. And I even play along and post comments on what I'm currently working on, etc. So now you can get a more in-depth view into my world (I shudder at the thought) and can see more about me as an artist. Just go to www.Facebook.com.
To view more of my work, in addition to new paintings, go to www.AmyGuidry.com.
“Video Killed the Radio Star, Hopefully It Won’t Kill Me”
Well, I've finally done it. I've made my foray into the world of video. Yes, soon you will see me all over YouTube (and no, I don't mean in a Paris-Hilton-home-video sort of way or a Britney-Spears-I-Forgot-My-Underpants kind of way, either). Hopefully it will be in a check-out-this-artist sort of way, at least I hope so. So here is the first video. I am calling it a preview video since it covers some (yes, some- there's more where that came from) of my New Realm series. I can't go on and on about my work if I want to have a reasonably short video, so that is why I had to limit the amount of work to discuss. Keep in mind that this is a general overview of the series and certain elements in the paintings, but viewers are free to interpret them however they wish. Actually, I love to hear what viewers think because they come up with some really creative ideas. And I think they pick up on things that I subconsciously included without realizing it at the time, especially when they relate it to aspects of my own life.
So check it out! This is the first glimpse of future projects to come!
How To Be an Art Star 2.0
Okay, that may be misleading since this is not the second edition, but a second time around for this class. For those of you who are not familiar with my Art Marketing class from last fall, this is your opportunity to to take part. As part of Frederick l'Ecole des Arts in Arnaudville, LA, I will be teaching another Art Marketing and Self-Promotion course. The first class was quite a success and a great, interactive opportunity to get together with aritists and gallery owners. In addition to my course outline, we had a group session covering individual questions and sharing ideas.
So if you missed out the first time, or are new to this blog and will be in the area, please sign up for Art Marketing and Self-Promotion. The class will be May 2nd (a Saturday) from 10AM-12Noon. Of course we did stay late last time because people had lots of questions and ideas to share, but if you need to leave at noon, feel free to do so.
To give you an idea of what the class is about, here is a general course outline. Overview: Risk assessment; getting out of your comfort zone. Changing your mindset. Goal-setting. Portfolio Development. Gallery submissions and approaching galleries. Alternative exhibition opportunities and juried shows. Marketing Materials. Pricing. Sales. Some of the additional topics discussed included shipping work, Ebay, vanity galleries (just stay away- that's a free tip you can get from me right now!), and what else, but blogging, of course.
Some of these are very basic principles, and some of it boils down to good old-fashioned common sense, but for many artists, their expertise is in their medium and not in marketing. Unfortunately marketing is not a course requirement when getting your art degree, and quite frankly, it's just plain scary to people (not just artists!). In addition, to succeed at ANYthing requires goals, planning, and organization. All skills that most people don't think of or skip when trying to succeed at anything. How many people do you know who blame things on bad luck or lack of luck? Or think the only way they can do what they truly love is if they "win the lottery?" I can think of many.
Okay, ready to sign up yet? Go to http://frederickarts.homestead.com/Classes.html to register for Art Marketing and Self-Promotion. Sign up early to ensure your spot in the class. And it doesn't matter if you are in high school and planning on your future career as an artist or if you've been an artist all your life. If you want to improve your marketing skills, ask questions, or take your career to the next level, this is your opportunity. And meet some great people, too!
New Alice in Wonderland Painting!
![New painting from the Alice in Wonderland series by Amy Guidry](http://www.artistcommentary.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/alice14.jpg "\")
I've updated the look of the Cheshire Cat from an older painting I had done in this series. The tree has a whimisical, "twisty" feel to it and red leaves... I was thinking of the Queen of Hearts, plus I like the punch of color it gives the piece. And the sides of the painting feature the four card suit- hearts on one side, diamonds on another, so on and so forth.
And if you are new to this blog, you can view my entire body of work on my website www.AmyGuidry.com.
Studio Visit Volume 3! FINALLY!
Well it's FINALLY here! Studio Visit Magazine arrived the other day. Apparently I was the last to receive a copy since mine got lost in the mail. (Hope my mail carrier is enjoying it...) So I just got my replacement copy. So here it is, I know you've been waiting forever. I know I have. My work is featured in Volume 3, the Fall 2008 issue. (Too bad I received it in 2009...)
As in the first issue, they split the accepted submissions into two volumes. Close to 1,000 entries were received and about 300 artists were accepted. And as with New American Paintings, the sister publication by The Open Studios Press, this is a juried competition. The juror was Carl Belz, Director Emeritus, The Rose Art Museum of Brandeis University. However, Studio Visit is a national competition, whereas New American Paintings is by region.
Both paintings I submitted were selected, so I have a two-page spread in this issue. Yea! They are from my New Realm series, which is my latest series. "Adaptation" is 48" x 36" and "Metamorphosis" is 40" x 30." Both are currently at Wally Workman Gallery in Austin, TX. If you'd like to see larger images of these paintings, or the rest of my work, you can go to my website www.AmyGuidry.com.
