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.
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!
"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!
“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.
