Tag Archives: artist

New painting

“Heads II” by Amy Guidry; 12″ x 12″; acrylic on canvas;  Sold; (c) Amy Guidry 2011

My latest piece is now finished and online! I had some back problems to slow me down a bit, but managed to pull through. This is the most recent addition to my “In Our Veins” series. It is a 12″ x 12″ painting, acrylic on canvas, titled “Heads II.” It is related to a previous painting- “Untitled (Heads).” I recently discussed this one and wanted to share my thoughts behind it. The concept behind this piece, as with several of my paintings, is that of humans viewing nature as a means to an end. We view animals as pieces and parts- head, tongue, rump, rear, breast, wing, etc. If they are not referred to as parts, they are named something other than what they are- chickens are poultry, pigs are pork, cows are beef, etc. They are no longer acknowledged as animals, but as food. Others are treated as trophies to hang on a wall, or turned into “luxury items” to wear or carry things in. I see animals as sentient beings- living, breathing, thinking, with offspring of their own to care for.

While humans typically treat their fellow members of the animal kingdom as a means to an end, I depict them with personalities, or what others arrogantly deem as “human” qualities (as if only humans can express emotions). For instance, many of the animals I paint have eyes that appear “human,” in that you see the whites of the eyes, or they have lighter colored eyes and not large, dark doe eyes as typically associated with animals. Some animals are positioned in a dominant stance or their facial expression is calm and serene- again, qualities typically associated with only humans. In this painting, the animals are confident and staring directly at the viewer, demanding attention and acknowledgement.

For a larger view (much larger, thanks to my recent website redesign), visit the following link: www.AmyGuidry.com/Heads_II.html

549 Exhibit

The group exhibition at Gallery 549 featuring some of my latest paintings is coming down this week. I have a few photos to share from the opening reception and there are even more on my (newly redesigned!) website at this direct link- www.amyguidry.com/events.html (Go to the album at the top left). So now I am gearing up for my next show which will be in Austin at Wally Workman Gallery. More details on that closer to time. In the meantime, check out the photos!

Interviews, websites, makeovers, Oh my!

Artist Amy Guidry discusses her work with viewers at Gallery 549

Sorry for the delayed post! I’ve had a lot going on as of late, some of which I would like to announce right now. I recently did an interview for Pop Culture Radio with Chris Wakefield. The interview is now online and has a bit of something for everyone whether you are an artist, a collector, or just an admirer of art. You can listen to the entire interview at this link: http://popcultureradio.net/radio-interview/amy-guidry/.

Also, for some even bigger news and I do mean big- if you’ve been following along you know of this several months long undertaking- my website makeover is finished and the results are now online! The overall design is a bit different (new and improved!) and there are some new added features. For one, the images are now large. And I mean large! Many of them have a zoom-in feature as well. While you are there, be sure to sign up for my e-newsletter. You can also now sign up for my quarterly postcard which features one of my latest paintings on the front and a quick list of exhibits on the back. Many people just like to collect the postcards for the paintings since they also get my newsletter. Sign up for one or for both, they’re all free. Check it out at www.AmyGuidry.com.

Resumes!

As a busy artist, I am always updating my resume to add exhibitions or press items. One thing I can’t stress enough is the importance to stay on top of updating your resume. You never know when a gallery or a collector may ask for it and you don’t want to hand over an outdated resume or keep them waiting while you work on one. And it’s easy to forget to include something. So here are a few guidelines that I follow for my own resume (or CV) that may come in handy for those of you in need of an update or those just starting out. These are the categories in order of appearance:

Birthdate and Birthplace: I just put my year of birth, but you can use your full birthdate. This is important to collectors and galleries since they are interested in how your age and where you are from may influence your work.

Exhibitions: Depending on where you are at in your career, this may be one category or two. In the latter, you will have a Solo Exhibition category and a Group Exhibition category. Some like to put 2-person shows in with Solo. In that case, it should be clearly marked as Solo and Two-Person Exhibitions and list each exhibit as such.

For those of you just starting out, don’t fret. Everyone has to start somewhere. If you have ever shown your work in a coffee shop, restaurant, library, bank, etc. now is the time to list it. If you were the only artist, list it as a solo exhibit. What if you haven’t shown at all yet? I would start small- ask owners of businesses (if you know them personally, even better) if you can hang your work there for a month. If you know of a vacant space that you can use, put up an exhibit of your own and invite people for an opening reception. Even if it’s for one evening, it’s still an exhibit. These opportunities are easier to come across since no one is expecting you to make money for them, so they are more willing to let you use their walls. However, once you start getting exhibits at galleries, you should remove these previous shows from your resume. It’s okay when you’re just starting out, but once you start moving up the ladder, you will need to omit exhibits that are of “less importance” in the gallery owner’s eyes. This rule goes for everyone.

List exhibitions by most recent first. List the year, name of the exhibit, and the location. If there is an exhibit catalogue, put “(catalogue)” at the end of the listing. If there was a well-known curator or juror, list them as well.

Experience: I use the term “experience” here, but really this will depend on you. This spot should be reserved for any jobs, lectures, workshops, etc. that you may have (or had) pertaining to your art career. ONLY list something if it is relevant to your career. Even if you are an Executive Director, 20 years going, at a major department store chain, do not put it down. Unless this is evident by looking at your art, it is not important to your art career in any way other than a paycheck. If you are an art teacher, list your teaching experience, or if you’ve ever been a guest artist lecturer, list lectures, etc.

Education: This is an important category, but as I have learned from various sources, it shouldn’t be at the top of your resume. Your exhibition history is more important. So obviously this area won’t need much updating unless you are presently in school or going back. You should name your university, location, degree received, and the year. If your degree is not art related, or does not  influence your art, you may want to leave off what your degree is in. More than likely, no one will ask anyway. From experience, only other artists and art professors ever ask where I studied.

If you have not attended college, don’t worry about that either. Many artists are self-taught. You may list such on your resume or if you’ve ever taken another artist’s workshop, you can put this under Education as well. As you move up the ranks, you may want to eventually remove the workshops unless they were conducted by well-known artists (i.e. nationally or internationally recognized). As your career progresses and you gain exposure, no gallery is going to care about a workshop you took 10 years ago. Not to say it wasn’t important to you, but galleries want to know what is most significant to your career.

Awards: Again, this is a category that depends on you. This may not be a blue ribbon award category so much as it is a list of grants received or residencies you were selected for. If you have received an award ribbon, certificate, etc. be sure to list the name of the competition and what placement you received. If you received a purchase award, be sure to name the award- for example, most are a person’s name such as the Betty Sue Purchase Award. If you don’t have any awards yet, just leave this category out.

Bibliography: Well, back in college, I learned the proper way to list press articles, etc. from “The Little, Brown Handbook.” I assume it still exists, but no two artists ever list their bibliographies the same. Some group everything by year, some alphabetical by article name, some alphabetical by author name, etc. I list by author name, but to each his own here. Regardless, this category should include any magazine articles, newspapers, radio interviews, tv interviews, and even blogs. Back in the day, blogs weren’t even in existence in “The Little, Brown Handbook.” Our books were stone tablets… just kidding.

Collections: Again, if you don’t have anything for this, just omit it. However, if your work is in any public collections, list it here. If your work is in any private collections (which is more likely the case), you can list the names and locations of the collectors if they are well-known (i.e. celebrities or famous patrons of the arts). Sorry to say, but no gallery is interested in knowing that your next door neighbor owns your work even if it’s 50 pieces. However, if the person is seen on national television or they are a famous artist, well-known curator, or a major art collector that loans their collection to museums from time to time, then you’ll get a gallery’s attention.

Representation: Another category you can omit if needed. If you happen to have gallery representation, list it here.

So that’s it- you may find in your career that there are other categories you could include, which is fine, just be sure your exhibitions stay at the forefront. Oh, and be sure your contact information is on every page of your resume. And no staples.

www.AmyGuidry.com

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"Sandhya" by Amy Guidry; acrylic on canvas; (c) Amy Guidry 2011

Two more of my paintings have recently found new homes. (They are my babies, so I do think of them as growing up and finding homes of their own.) Both are from my 2005-2006 series of portraits- “Sandhya” and “Man in the Park.” They are both acrylic on canvas, and the same dimensions as well- 26 inches wide by 22 inches high, framed. “Man in the Park” is actually now in the permanent collection of the Alexandria Museum of Art in Alexandria, Louisiana.

"Man in the Park" by Amy Guidry; acrylic on canvas; (c) Amy Guidry 2011

As you may know from an earlier post, my website will be getting a makeover (it’s just going on behind the scenes so my site is still currently up and running). And since my portfolio is always expanding and there are very few portraits still available, I’ve decided to remove the portraits from the new site. You will still be able to enjoy them online elsewhere, though- such as this blog as well as my Facebook Fan Page. I’ll be revealing the new look soon, but in the meantime you can still check out all of my work at www.AmyGuidry.com.

 

549 in April

"Synergy" by Amy Guidry, acrylic on canvas, 8" x 10", (c) Amy Guidry 2011 If you live in Lafayette, Louisiana, or even in the Acadiana area, you are probably familiar with Gallery 549. Gallery 549 is one of several gallery hot-spots during Artwalk in downtown Lafayette, and one of my personal favorites to visit. So I’m happy to say that I will be showing there next month as part of the annual Spring group exhibition. I’ll be showing works from my “In Our Veins” series, all new and not previously exhibited- so this will be their debut! If you are in the area, this is your chance to see my work in person. I show all over the country, so I really love it when I have the opportunity to show in a local venue so that friends and family can attend. The opening reception will be held during the Second Saturday Artwalk in April (which will be April 9th) from 6-8pm. Hope to see you there!

Oh, and for those of you who are out of area, you can visit my work virtually at www.AmyGuidry.com.

Sold

"Fragility" by Amy Guidry, acrylic on canvas, (c) Amy Guidry 2011

Lots going on as of late. I will be revealing a new painting pretty soon. My website is currently getting a makeover which will be unveiled soon, hopefully. And I’ve had shows coming down and new ones about to go up. Recently my painting “Fragility” was sold and has found a new home in NYC. This is one from my latest series of work “In Our Veins.” It’s a 6″ x 6″, acrylic on canvas. I will miss him… “Fragility” was also featured recently on Beautiful Decay along with several other paintings from the series, which you can view at http://beautifuldecay.com/2011/02/21/amy-guidry/.

Mother Nature

I wanted to share one of my latest paintings from my “In Our Veins” series. The title is “Mother Nature” and it is an acrylic on canvas, 6″ x 6.” This is one of the more overtly vegan paintings from the series. I’m disturbed by the fact that humans are willing to drink what is “breast milk” even though they are adults (and it’s not even from their own species!). Yuck. It’s no wonder so many people are lactose-intolerant… because it’s not natural! I wanted to create a piece around this concept, ironically naming it “Mother Nature” because there is nothing natural about it. That said, I have a few pics of my process to share. You can see the finished piece on my website at this link: www.AmyGuidry.com- Mother Nature.

Party Pics

The Prospect New Orleans Benefit- Throwdown.1.5- last Saturday was a big hit. Many people were in attendance after the Julia St. Artwalk in New Orleans. My painting “Kerry” now has a new home (see previous post). And I met some other exhibiting artists as well. So if you missed the event, here are a few photos to enjoy the event vicariously. You can see more at this direct link: www.amyguidry.com/events.html.

I always wanted to be cool

Artist Amy Guidry with her paintings at Wally Workman Gallery, Austin, TX
Artist Amy Guidry with her paintings at Wally Workman Gallery, Austin, TX

I don’t know anybody growing up who didn’t wish they were in the “cool” crowd. Well, unless you already were in the cool crowd… So, better late than never, I think I finally reached “cool” status since I’m now featured on Vegans Are Cool. The name implies you’re cool, so I’m going with it. Silliness aside, I’m honored to be one of the featured interviews and to represent those vegans in the creative field. And it’s nice to get into some more personal aspects of my work since those opportunities don’t happen if your work is on a gallery wall and there’s no one around to explain it. So for a little more insight into my world- art, veganism, etc.- check out my interview at www.vegansarecool.com (also under the category- vegan creatives).