Tag Archives: Art

Right Around the Corner

Amy Guidry with her painting, "Introspective" (SOLD)

I’ve been busy preparing for my next exhibit and it’s just about here.  October 10th is the opening night for my solo exhibition at Galerie Lafayette.  If you’re in the area, you may already know that this is the same evening for the next Artwalk in downtown Lafayette, LA.  So plenty of galleries will be open late and have new exhibitions up as well.  I’m excited to have this show since I will be revealing new work in addition to some pieces you may have seen on my website, www.AmyGuidry.com.  I’ll have many paintings from the 5″ x 5″ series on display as well, which are perfect for those getting a head start on their gift shopping.

So mark your calendars!  I will be in attendance, so stop by and say hello.  October 10th from 5-8(ish) pm at Galerie Lafayette on Jefferson Street.

 

I’m Quite the Busy Bee

"Isaac" by Amy Guidry; portrait commission

Whenever I agree to do a show, or a commission, or a press release, or all of the above, it doesn’t seem overwhelming at the time. And perhaps it’s because I agree to do all of these things in a short span of time that makes it overwhelming at times. I really don’t know when to stop, though, because I’m one of those people that is always going. You know the ones. I’m going even if I’m sick. I don’t have time for germs! I’ve got paintings to finish and treadmills to run on. You get the picture. It’s just hard for me to sit still.

So maybe this helps to explain why my posts have been on hiatus recently. A small hiatus, but still, a hiatus. I’m just now catching up on things. So aside from wrapping up one show, then getting into another show (No Dead Artists), and gearing up for my next solo show (October is right around the corner!), I’ve also finished another commission piece. This is an 11″ x 14″ painting of “Isaac.” I’ve actually done two paintings of Issac, but don’t have any photos to share of the second one yet. I’ll get there eventually… Anyway, I may have to remove some work from my website before I add any of these new pieces because it’s getting to be a bit full. However, you can still see more of my work at www.AmyGuidry.com. Or in person at Galerie Lafayette next month!

Vanity Galleries

"Inner Peace?" by Amy Guidry; Copyright Amy Guidry 2009

I had a blast from the past the other day…well, usually that is associated with a good thing, but in this case, it isn’t. I never did write about this in my blog before because it just slipped my mind. Better late than never. I received an email a couple of days ago from a gallery in Santa Monica (see link provided for more info). I thought it was strange because I suddenly found myself on their mailing list, yet I had contacted them years ago (not knowing any better…keep reading) and never received emails from them before. Odd that a gallery would want to reach out after all these years of no contact. Anyway, I contacted them back when I was first starting out my painting career because I found a call for artists. Turns out they only wanted to see me if I lived in California. Strange since galleries will take you on no matter where you live. So I was looking around on the internet and found out they are a vanity gallery. Blech.  Read more proof here: http://http://gyst-ink.com/blog/?p=177 And yes, I spoke with “Heidi,” too.

Vanity galleries, as you may very well know already, require a fee (and a large one at that) from artists in order to represent them. Basically you are paying your way in. Any gallery worth its salt does not have to survive by taking money from its artists. They survive on SALES of work. If they can’t do that, something is wrong. In addition to a yearly fee, many vanity galleries also require the artist to install the show themselves, pay for promotional materials and invitations, cover all shipping costs, and do a required amount of gallery-sitting. Which begs the question…And what does the gallery do for you? As in any bad relationship, you are left doing all the work while your partner is living it up at your expense, with no real love in return. It’s best to dump the loser (or gallery…we are still talking about art here) and wait it out until the “right one” comes along.

Questions? Comments? Know of any other losers we should all avoid? Let me know!

www.AmyGuidry.com

Triskaidekafolio

“Everything’s Coming Up Roses” by Amy Guidry ; Acrylic on canvas; 40″w x 30″h; SOLD; Copyright Amy Guidry 2009

As I wait for my brother to get me a few copies of the New Orleans Gambit, I checked it out online today knowing that the review of the 13th Annual NO DEAD ARTISTS would be there. I was happy to see that my work was mentioned first in addition to the fact that I was one of a handful of artists that were mentioned from the show. What a nice surprise! The review was written by D. Eric Bookhardt and titled “Triskaidekafolio.” I had no idea if that was even a word, so thanks to the internet I found out this was Mr. Bookhardt’s take on triskaidekaphobia, which is an irrational fear of the number 13.  You can read the entire article online at http://bestofneworleans.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A60495.

Be sure to visit the opening reception if you are in the New Orleans area this weekend! The show is at Jonathan Ferrara Gallery on Julia Street and will open from 6-9pm, Saturday, September 5th. But if you can’t make it and you’d like to see some of the work I have in this exhibit, including other series, visit my website at www.AmyGuidry.com.

So Here’s a Recap

If you’ve been following along, you probably know by now that I had an opening last weekend. I’m sure many of my blog readers were not in the vicinity of Hammond, LA… what are the odds, really? So, I’ve posted just a few photos from the show. (You can see more where that came from in my Events section on my website, so here’s the link: www.AmyGuidry.com/events.html.) There were a lot of people in attendance, especially since the opening was held during “Hot August Night,” which is an annual art & music festival. My painting, “Cocoon,” sold during opening night. The show received a highly positive response from those in attendance. I ran out of business cards before the night was over! Note to self: bring a backup stash of cards in a ziplock bag and cram into teeny tiny purse.

So if you haven’t seen the show and are in Louisiana, you can still check out my work! My New Realm series is on display at the Oak Street Gallery in Hammond, LA at 111 North Oak St. (go figure). And for a virtual show experience, go to my website at www.AmyGuidry.com.

Surprise!

“Complacent” by Amy Guidry; SOLD; Copyright Amy Guidry 2009

Wow, seems I’m going to be on the eastern side of Louisiana yet again. I currently have a solo exhibit up at the Oak Street Gallery in Hammond, LA (which opens this Friday!) and now I will have a show in New Orleans coming up next month. Lots of driving is on my future agenda… I found out today that my work was selected for inclusion in “No Dead Artists,” which is a juried exhibition held annually at Jonathan Ferrara Gallery in New Orleans. Jurors for this year’s show were Miranda Lash, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the New Orleans Museum of Art; Charles Whited, New Orleans, LA; and John Kemp, writer, ARTNews, Art & Antiquities, American Artist, Louisiana Life, and editor of LA Cultural Vistas.

“And Justice For All. Void Where Prohibited” by Amy Guidry; SOLD; Copyright Amy Guidry 2009

Selected artists are: May Babcock, Mary Beyt, Gabrielle A. Chapin, Yvette Creel, Amy Guidry, Erin Haldrup, Stephen Hoskins, Eleanor Owen Kerr, Katie Knoeringer, Adam Mysock, Jonathan Pellitteri, Dan Rule, Paige Valente, Ryan Watkins-Hughes, and Sara White.

The exhibit will be on display from September 2nd- September 26th. The opening will be September 5th from 6-9pm. And for those of you in the Hammond area, don’t forget the opening reception for my New Realm exhibit will be from 6-10pm this Friday (August 21st) at the Oak Street Gallery. It will be held in conjunction with “Hot August Night” so parking will be limited. If you can’t make either show or if you just can’t wait, you can also view my work online at www.AmyGuidry.com

Dimensions of Disclosure

Cover of "Dimensions of Disclosure" featuring my work

The book that I recently blogged about, “Dimensions of Disclosure,” will be available on Amazon in early September! Yea! The initial printings will go to galleries. I should be receiving my copy soon and will post photos on my website, etc. So be on the lookout.

If you are not already familiar, “Dimensions of Disclosure” is an art book featuring self-portraiture from artists around the country. It’s published by New Art Review and edited by K. Augustine. My painting, “Adaptation,” will be included, in addition to my bio and contact information, in a full-page layout. “Adaptation” is from my New Realm series and is currently at Wally Workman Gallery in Austin, TX.

"Adaptation" by Amy Guidry; From the New Realm series. Copyright Amy Guidry 2009

Artists included are: Laura Abramson, Kathy Augustine, Joanna Bavero, Bobbi Bennett, Benita Brewer, Carrie A. S. Caldwell, Ryan Carr, Jan Cheney, Stephanie Dana, Michael Diven, Viviana Florea, Amy Guidry, Robert Hacunda, Kathy Iwanowski, Case Jernigan, Ileana M. Johnson, Brooke LaBrie, Lacresha A. Lincoln, Ron E A Powell (REAP13), Jeanna Ragsdale, Laurie T. Seamons, Lauren Sudbrink, Andrew Toth, Kathleen Tumey, Paula Visnoski, Peter Wallis, and Patrick Wise.

If you’d like to see more of my work, be sure to visit my website at www.AmyGuidry.com. In addition to my paintings, you’ll find photos from exhibits, press information, and a signup page for my email newsletter.

Social Networking

My Fans

As if it wasn’t difficult enough just to paint, maintain a website and a blog, I decided to jump on the bandwagon and join some of the popular social networking sites.  It’s a lot to keep up with, but I have to admit I do enjoy meeting and reconnecting with people.  It’s amazing who you’ll find.  Anyway, as some of you may already know, I am on Facebook, but I also recently joined Twitter.  I’ve come to find that different sites appeal to different people, so it’s best to join as many as you possibly can.  So, that said, for those of you who frequent some of these social networking haunts, you may like to follow me on those as well.  If you’re on Facebook, you can follow my Fan Page.  And if you’re on Twitter, you can follow me at www.twitter.com/amyguidryartist.

And, of course, if you’d like to view all of my work, including event photos and press, go to my website at www.AmyGuidry.com! And for those who are wondering, these four pictured to the left are some of my biggest fans. They lounge behind my easel all day, though it doesn’t look very comfortable in this particular photo…

Brick by Brick

"Maggie" by Amy Guidry; portrait commission

Whew! I’ve been busy… sorry for the delayed posting. As you may already know, I have a show coming up at the Oak Street Gallery in Hammond, LA this month. That entailed a trip with a U-Haul to get all of my work over there. Lots of big canvases that wouldn’t fit in my Jeep. In addition to my usual painting, I also did a portrait commission and my hand is starting to feel it! But I think the results paid off, so that makes it a little easier to endure. This is a painting of “Maggie”- I’ve met her before but I’m sure she doesn’t remember that. Anyway, I got a little crazy with the background and took on something much bigger than I anticipated. I do like the way the bricks turned out, though. No pain, no gain, right? Is that applicable here? I also played with the color scheme a little for an almost monochromatic feel. She was already wearing pink but I toned down the hot pink-ness in her shirt and applied more pinks and peaches to the bricks. Oh, and it’s an 11″ x 14″ acrylic on canvas!

I will be painting Maggie’s sister soon, so I will post that once I have it finished. In the meantime, check out my website for some more news in my Press section! http://www.AmyGuidry.com

In the News

"Cocoon" by Amy Guidry; SOLD; From the New Realm series; Copyright Amy Guidry 2009

I’m excited to have a birthday coming up, so that means my family will be coming to visit. Plus, I’ve asked my mom to get several copies of the Sunday paper for me, so she will have those in tow. It’s actually last Sunday’s edition of the Times Picayune, which is the New Orleans newspaper. So in addition to the birthday excitement, I’m excited to see a tangible copy of the interview I have in the Slidell section of the Times Picayune. Kathleen DesHotel wrote a wonderful article about my work and has many full-color images of my paintings. The b+w images continue on the inside of the paper, but at least I have several in color on the front! The interview couldn’t come at a better time since I have a show coming up on the eastern side of the state in Hammond, LA. If you’re a “regular” you will already know this, but for those newbies, my show is a solo exhibition of my New Realm series at the Oak Street Gallery. The opening is August 21st from 6-9pm.

I can’t wait to see the actual paper in person, and according to my mother, the article seems to be longer than what’s featured on the internet. However, you get the gist of it (sans photos…I know, what were they thinking?) online at nola.com- http://www.nola.com/picayunes/t-p/slidellpicayune/index.ssf?/base/news-21/124786059728520.xml&coll=1

As soon as I have a copy, I will be sure to post pictures and the link in my Press section of my website.  In the meantime, if you would like to see more of my work, visit http://www.AmyGuidry.com