I’m just now getting around to posting photos from the opening reception of the 15th International Open. My painting Fleeting was selected for the exhibit at Woman Made Gallery by guest juror Linda Warren of Linda Warren Gallery, also in Chicago. Here are a few of the photos from opening night- more are on my website at www.amyguidry.com/events.html. The good news is there is still time to see it since the show is up now through April 26th.
"Zachary" by Amy Guidry; acrylic on canvas; Collection of the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art
I’m excited to announce that my painting “Zachary” will be in the upcoming “Portraits and Their Stories” exhibition at the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art. “Zachary” is part of the museum’s collection and will be amongst the many other portraits in their collection (including Grant Wood of “American Gothic” fame) as well as some pieces on loan. “Zachary” was one of my portrait series paintings done during 2005-2006 (which you can view a few of on my Facebook Fan Page). The exhibition will be up September 24th, 2011 through January 15, 2012- ample opportunity for those of you in the Midwest to see my work in person. For more information on the exhibit visit the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art website at this direct link.
Perfume Bottle drawing by Amy Guidry; SOLD; Done when I was 16 years old
I recently posted a few photos of work I did as a kid up through high school. Funny, it never occurred to me that someone would be interested in adding one to their art collection…I guess because even though they are art, somehow I only considered work done during my “professional” years to be of interest. That is until someone expressed interest. I was also surprised by the enthusiasm people had over these once I posted them to my Facebook “Fan Page.” Even though they were all pieces I did on my own time, they were still part of my “sketchbook” assignments (even though they were not just simple sketches) which I had to turn in weekly to show that I was working on my art. This was standard for those in the Talented Art Program. Every week I would show what I worked on, usually adding more to the same drawing, and wait for approval. In some ways, it’s not all that different from how things are today. So I think this serves as a great reminder that we shouldn’t be so critical of our own work- on the whole, if it’s good, it’s good, no matter how old it is, no matter the imperfections that we think we see, no matter how many times we had to start over. No one else sees that, they just see a great work of art.
Detail of work in progress- "Survival of the Fittest" by Amy Guidry; (c) Amy Guidry 2010Detail from "Survival of the Fittest" by Amy Guidry; (c) Amy Guidry 2010
You may recall I posted a small piece of my latest work on here. Although it’s not finished yet, I do have a good chunk done to show you. This time it’s roughly one and a half feet wide. I’m calling this piece “Survival of the Fittest.” After all the hours and days and months (!) I’ve invested in this piece, I’m starting to think this is a test of my own fitness. I’m no quitter, though, so I will be posting the finished piece soon!
This will be my latest addition to my series, “In Our Veins.” BTW, you can also read more about this series on my website since I’ve recently added an artist statement. And for those of you who are wondering, this is an acrylic on canvas, 36 inches wide by 18 inches high.
So in the meantime, enjoy these detail shots of my progress and be sure to check out the rest of this series on my website www.AmyGuidry.com.
"The Wild West" by Amy Guidry. (c) Amy Guidry 2010
I’ve had a lot of interest in Studio Visit Magazine as of late. Hopefully most of you have found your answers in some of my recent posts. So low and behold, I received an acceptance letter (and email!) from Studio Visit Magazine. My work was selected for inclusion in the Summer 2010 edition. So this will be Volume…10? Not sure, but I think there’s a Winter edition about to come out…then the Summer edition. The juror for this volume was Dina Deitsch, Assistant Curator of Contemporary Art, deCordova Sculpture Park + Museum in Lincoln, MA. For those who don’t know, Studio Visit is published by The Open Studios Press and is the sister publication to New American Paintings. It is a nationally conducted juried competition featuring 2D and 3D work. Oh, and in case you haven’t seen it- the painting that will be in the magazine is “The Wild West” which I’ve included a small image of here. There’s a closeup of it on my website www.AmyGuidry.com
"Girl on Campus" by Amy Guidry; (c) Amy Guidry 2010
I received some exciting news in the mail the other day. My work has been selected for inclusion in the LaGrange National XXVI Biennial Exhibition at the LaGrange Art Museum. The juror for the exhibit happens to be New Orleans’ own J. Richard Gruber, Director of the Ogden Museum of Southern Art. The exhibit will be held at the LaGrange Art Museum in LaGrange, GA. I’ve shown in Atlanta before, but this will be a first for me in LaGrange. So more good news- there will be a color catalog of the exhibition and there will be Purchase Awards granted. I’m keeping my fingers crossed. Okay, details- the exhibit will be on display from February 26th through April 17th, 2010. Hopefully with such a long exhibition period, more of you will have the opportunity to see the work in person. The opening reception, as well as the awards announcements, will be February 26th from 6-8pm. More info to be posted at www.AmyGuidry.com.
"Untitled (Heads)" by Amy Guidry; (c) Amy Guidry 2010
Just a quick post today…sorry, I’m pressed for time and need to get to work in the studio. I have a new painting to share. This is part of my new series (yes, still working on a name for it…I need to pick from the ones that made it to the finals). You can view this series on my website www.AmyGuidry.com. So the new painting is titled “Untitled (Heads)” and is an acrylic on canvas, 20″ x 10.” Not a huge piece, but a good enough size for me to show a lot of detail. I think the pig is my favorite… I’m partial to pigs anyway. This will be part of the group show I will be in at Gallery 549 this March. Oh, and we’ve agreed upon a name- 6@549. Simple, but it works for 6 very different artists.
I’m happy to say that two of my paintings have sold over the past week. That’s one thing about holiday shopping that I don’t mind. It goes without saying, but art is an original and personal gift, so I’m always delighted when someone wants to give one of my creations to their loved ones. That said, my painting, “Evolving” is now going to make someone’s Christmas merry. If you are unfamiliar, “Evolving” is from my New Realm series, which you can view in its entirety at www.AmyGuidry.com.
"Food or Pet? How Do You Decide?" by Amy Guidry
And if you read my blog often, you will be more than familiar with this painting- “Food or Pet? How Do You Decide?” This piece is currently in the “Feast” exhibition at Wally Workman Gallery in Austin (you may recall me mentioning it…). It sold just the other day, though it may or may not be a gift. Could be a gift to one’s self… This painting comes from my social commentary series, which is also on my website.
So with that said, I’m off to take care of my own holiday errands. (And get some new photos of my next painting…so be sure to check back.)
A little while back I had posted my painting of “Maggie,” a portrait commission I had finished. I had yet to paint Maggie’s sister, Sadie, since we (the clients and I) were still deciding on photos. And another portrait commission had popped up in-between. Sooo, I’ve finally finished “Sadie!” This little girl has the most amazing eyes. The photo here does not do the painting justice, but trust me, those kid’s eyes are out of this world. I don’t know if it’s a coincidence, but both Sadie and Maggie have pink jackets on in their paintings. Or maybe it’s just that I gravitated towards pink and chose those?? Anyway, I will get both paintings on my website soon. So check back later! www.AmyGuidry.com
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!
