One

“One” by Amy Guidry; acrylic on canvas; 6″x 6″; SOLD; (c) Amy Guidry 2012

Finally finished!  I’ve just completed my painting for The Great West Coast Migration traveling exhibition.  The title is One and it is an acrylic on canvas, 6″ x 6.”  The exhibition is organized by PangeaSeed and will benefit sharks and oceans in Japan and abroad.  Given that so many sharks are killed for their fins (a delicacy in Japan and China), this cause was of particular interest to me not only as an artist but as a vegan as well.  People often think of sharks as vicious predators, (thanks, Media!) when in fact, they do not seek out humans and only a small percentage of shark attacks occur each year.  I wanted to focus on them as being part of this world and just as significant as the rest of us.  I combined the human faces with the shark body to illustrate them as one, or equals.  The shark body floats in the air, in keeping with many of my other paintings, but also mimicking the hunted, hanging sharks I so often see.  Such a simple title- One– and such a simple concept, yet we still struggle to see our planet as something to share rather than dominate.

The exhibition will begin this summer at the following galleries:

Seattle – Roq la Rue Gallery- July 13-15
Portland – Grass Hut Co.- July 20-22
San Francisco – Spoke Art Gallery- July 27-28
Los Angeles – LeBasse Project- August 2-4
Costa Mesa – The Artery- August 10-12
San Diego – Space 4 Art- August 17-19

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Perspective

"Perspective" by Amy Guidry; acrylic on canvas; 4" x 4"; SOLD; (c) Amy Guidry 2012

I’ve just added another new painting to my In Our Veins series.  It is a 4″ x 4″ painting, acrylic on canvas, $100, titled Perspective.  This is yet another example of why I use such tiny paintbrushes.  The hare heads are about the size of a dime.  The heads are representative of the typical view of animals- that they are simply a means to an end and are just parts and pieces we use or eat as opposed to sentient beings.  I, however, don’t see them this way- hence the title Perspective– which is why I depict them in a manner that emphasizes the expressions of their faces or light colored, “human-looking” eyes.

View the painting and purchase information on my website here: www.amyguidry.com/perspective.html.

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Gambit Review

"Symbiotic" by Amy Guidry; acrylic on canvas; 11"w x 14"h; (c) Amy Guidry 2012

Quick post today- lots going on and I’ll have plenty to share on here later so be on the lookout.  The 3-person exhibition that I currently have at Barrister’s Gallery in New Orleans recently received a great write-up in the Gambit Weekly.  Eric Bookhardt attended our exhibit, “Visions of the Unnatural World,” and gave us a positive review which you can check out here: www.bestofneworleans.com/blogofneworleans/archives/2012/05/15/review-new-works-at-barristers-gallery.  The show is currently up through June 2nd.

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Eye of the Beholder

Eye of the Beholder 2012

For a change of pace, I will serve as the juror for the upcoming LAA “Eye of the Beholder” exhibition in Lafayette, LA.  I was honored to be asked and more than happy to be this year’s juror.  I’m excited to see the work that is submitted, especially as I am sure to see work by new artists and those that are just new to me, in addition to new work by artists that are fixtures in the art community here.  The competition is regional and open to anyone in from Texas to Florida.  Submission dates are May 16- 25, which is right around the corner, so get your entries in soon.  Also, it is an open themed show, so don’t get too caught up in the exhibit title.  More information can be found on the Lafayette Art Association website at this link: http://lafayetteart.org/wp/2012/05/eye-of-the-beholder-xxvi-submit-may-16-25/

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Love & Sharks

Design by PangeaSeed Creative Director - Aaron Glasson (Rah Akaishi)

I have recently been invited to participate in The Great West Coast Migration, a touring art exhibition, organized by PangeaSeed in an effort to benefit sharks and oceans in Japan and beyond.  According to PangeaSeed, “We are very excited to showcase a robust fund-raising art collection featuring works contributed by more than 100 internationally renowned artists, graphic designers, filmmakers and photographers. Almost all of our globally-based artist friends will be premiering their works for the first time ever in the United States. Also a percentage of the proceeds from the summer exhibitions will also help in aiding the startup of PangeaSeed’s inaugural west coast chapter whose mission and efforts will help further fundraising to keep sharks afloat on the west coast and around the world.”

The exhibition tour will take place at the following:

Seattle – Roq la Rue Gallery- July 13-15
Portland – Grass Hut Co.- July 20-22
San Francisco – Spoke Art Gallery- July 27-28
Los Angeles – LeBasse Project- August 2-4
Costa Mesa – The Artery- August 10-12
San Diego – Space 4 Art- August 17-19

Participating artists include: Dave Kinsey, Mike Stilkey, Brad Klausen, Yoram Benz, Skinner, Gale Hart, Shark Toof, Bwana Spoons, Craig Tapecat McCudden, Bigfoot, Danny Miller, Rah Akaishi, Justin Lovato, Lindsey Carr, Serge Gay Jr., Brett Amory, Robert Bowen, Ryan Maguire, MCA, Mario Wagner, John Fellows, Ronzo, Sylvia Ji, Toshikazu Nozaka, Michael Alm, Lindsey Way, Remo Camerota,  Cometdebris (Koji Harmon), Gargamel, Blunt Graffix (Matt Dye), Samuel Rodriguez, Aaron De La Cruz, Ben Tour, Linnea Strid, Crajes, Becky and Louise, Max Dalton, Olek, Caitlin Hackett, Derek Nobbs, Jeni Yang, Scott Belcastro, Yoh Nagao, Joshua Petker, Flick Ford,  Lisa Congdon, Josie Morway, Luciano Scherer, Scott Hove, Tati Suarez, Tugboat Printers, Victor Castillo, Peap Tarr, Meg Adamson, SHERYO, Aidan Monahan, The Yok, Spencer Keeton Cunningham, Cinzah Merkins, Nao Harada, Sage Vaughn, Adam Wallacavage, Erik Otto, Mr. Jango, P Williams, Morgan Slade, Jasper Wong, Flavien Demarigny, Laura Ball, Courtney Mattison, La Pandilla, Sam Rulz, Casey Grey, Greg Simkins, Jim Phillips, Nathan Spoor, Kid Creature,  Ransom and Mitchell, Cupco (Luke Temby), Kelly Allen, Sean Tuttle, Amy Guidry, Kozyndan, Rhys Cooper, John Stuart Berger, Bruce Gossett, Sandra Cappelletti, Michael King, Carbon, Kim Scott, Ashley Suzanne Taylor, Mika Tenekoon, Pascal Lecocq, APAK, Asher Jay, Trip Airways, Kaoru Sakai, Jim Mazza, Winnie McDonald, Rob Mack, Jeremy Pruitt, Rick Rietveld, Ben Brough, Caspian de Looze, Nathan Paul Gibbs, Thaddeus Strode, Paul Kaiju, Le Merde, Vexta, Kool Kid Kreyola, Foerdl Scheichenost

I’ll be posting my finished piece for the exhibit here (and the links below) so be on the lookout.

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Bizarre Beyond Belief

Bizarre Beyond Belief- Amy Guidry In Our Veins feature

My work was recently featured on Bizarre Beyond Belief, a site that is “dedicated to the brilliant, beautiful and bizarre.”  Several works from my latest series In Our Veins are featured.  Check it out here: http://bizarrebeyondbelief.com/2012/04/27/amy-guidry-in-our-veins/.

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Donations, Charities, Auctions and Art

I’ve discussed donating art a few years ago on this blog, but since this is such a debated topic, I thought it would be useful to revisit it.  It’s great to have someone think so highly of your art that they believe it would help their organization to auction it off.  On the other hand, as your career progresses, you’ll find that you are being asked to donate your work to auctions A LOT.  Sometimes one a week.  At that rate, you won’t have any art left to sell.  So what’s an up and coming artist with a heart of gold to do?  Well it won’t be easy, but you’ll have to pick the ones you want to help (and feasibly can) and politely let the others know that you can’t.

Sounds simple enough, right?  There are a few considerations to keep in mind first.  Obviously if the auction/charity/event is to benefit something close to your heart, then those are the causes you’ll want to start with.  Some causes may not be in line with your beliefs- for example, I am a vegan, therefore I will only donate to charities that do not test on animals.  While you are narrowing down your favorites, also take a look at the event details:

Where is the event venue?  Is it a venue that you are proud to be associated with?

What is to become of your donated art- is it going to be hung on a museum wall or is it being used in an auction?

If it is an auction, what happens if the work is not sold– do you get it back?

Do you like the other artists’ work that will be seen with yours?

If it is an auction, is the starting bid price at a reasonable rate so as not to devalue your work?  Can you set the starting bid price yourself?  Can you set a reserve amount?

Do you get a percentage of the sale?

Will you receive free tickets to the event (presumably for you and a guest)?

If you cannot answer these questions, then don’t be shy- find out from the event organizer or coordinator.  Many organizations, while they mean well, do not realize that artists get these requests quite often and that they are essentially asking you for a donation worth hundreds or thousands of dollars, so don’t feel bad about looking out for yourself.  Also, be aware many organizations will try to sell you on the idea of donating as a tax write-off.  This is only partly true.  You can only deduct the supplies/materials used to create the piece.  You cannot write-off the actual art donated.  (This only applies to collectors of art that has appreciated so they donate to museums and get out of paying income tax on the appreciation.)  It’s unfair, I know, but that’s how it works, at least in the United States.  If you’re looking to get some sort of deduction, you should just write a check to the organization.  If you are happy with the event parameters and have available work to donate, go ahead with it, attend the event, and do some networking. Perhaps the auction winner will become your next collector…

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