"Untitled (Desert)" by Amy Guidry; acrylic on canvas; 4" x 4"; SOLD; (c) Amy Guidry 2012
Another painting from the In Our Veins series has found a new home. Untitled (Desert) is an acrylic on canvas, 4″ x 4,” and will be joining a couple of my other paintings. It is actually a spin-off from one of my larger paintings, Heads II which can be seen here: www.amyguidry.com/Heads_II.html (and FYI Heads II is one of the paintings included in the upcoming show I’m doing at the Hilliard Museum in Lafayette, LA this September). View a larger image of Untitled (Desert) here: www.amyguidry.com/untitled04.html.
"Succession" by Amy Guidry; acrylic on canvas; 6"w x 12"h; (c) Amy Guidry 2012
My next show is just around the bend as July is coming to a close. My painting Succession will be featured at Wally Workman Gallery in Austin, TX as part of their group exhibition, “100 Degrees.” The show will feature works by several of the gallery’s represented artists. The exhibit dates are August 4th through September 1st, with a Preview held during their First Thursday Artwalk on August 2nd, from 6-8pm. The official opening reception will be held August 4th, from 6-8pm. You can preview the show online here: http://www.wallyworkmangallery.com/group_show.lasso?itemid=792.
I’m a little slow to post these given my show at Barrister’s Gallery ended June 23rd. Nevertheless, I wanted to share photos from the opening reception for my 3-person exhibition, “Visions of the Unnatural World.” It was a really great exhibit and a great pair of artists – Nikki Crook and Monique Ligons – to show with. More photos are also online here: http://www.amyguidry.com/events.html.
Artist Amy Guidry with her painting "Survival of the Fittest" (center)Artists Monique Ligons, Amy Guidry, and Nikki Crook with their work, respectively, at Barrister's Gallery, New Orleans"Symbiotic" by Amy Guidry; acrylic on canvas; 11"w x 14"h; (c) Amy Guidry 2011; SOLD"Stallions" and "Mother Nature" by Amy Guidry; 6" x 6" each; acrylic on canvas; (c) Amy Guidry 2012Installation view, Barrister's Gallery, New Orleans, LA
I recently attended the Preview Party for the 2012 Art Melt at the Shaw Center for the Arts in Baton Rouge, LA. My painting Survival of the Fittest was one of the works selected for the show by jurors Franklin Sirmans (Chief Curator, Los Angeles County Museum of Art); Ron Platt (Curator, Birmingham Museum of Art); and Thomas Neff (Artist and Professor of Art, LSU). If you missed the Preview Party and the opening reception, no worries as the exhibit will be up through August 3rd.
Artist Amy Guidry with her painting "Survival of the Fittest" at the Shaw Center for the ArtsArtist Amy Guidry with Ron Platt, Curator, Birmingham Museum of Art, and Franklin Sirmans, Curator, Los Angeles County Museum of ArtInstallation view, Art Melt 2012, The Shaw Center for the ArtsThe Shaw Center for the Arts, Baton Rouge, LA
New postcards featuring "Succession" by Amy Guidry
Just got my new postcards in! My new painting Succession is on the front cover as well as my upcoming exhibitions list on the back. If you would like to receive one, sign up for my postcards here: http://www.amyguidry.com/contact.html. (Just click on the postcard icon.) And for the over 500 (!) people that are already on my mailing list, be on the lookout for your new cards in the mail this week!
"Adaptation" by Amy Guidry; acrylic on canvas; 36"w x 48"h; (c) Amy Guidry 2007
It’s time again for the Second Saturday Artwalk in downtown Lafayette! And the hours have now been extended so it will take place from 6-9pm! More time to check out more great art. Here is the line-up for July 14th’s Artwalk (and I will be participating this month as well so stop by and say hello!):
Acadiana Center for the Arts– 101 W. Vermilion St. / 337-233-7060
Main Gallery: May 12, 2012 – July 14, 2012- Southern Open 2012
Side Gallery: July 14, 2012 – August 4, 2012- Generic Art Solutions: “Bullet Proof”
James S. Mallia Galleria: June 2, 2012 – August 11, 2012- Inhabiting Horizons: Capturing Fleeting Spaces by: John Oliver, Emee Morgan and David Webber
Coca-Cola Studio: June 9, 2012 – August 4, 2012- Another Time: Paintings by Carolyn Scalfano Faulk and Eric Todd
Vault Series: July 14 – August 25, 2012- Gary Rock
Arts Co-op– 535 1/2 Jefferson St. / 337-344-8657 “Go Figure”-Figure Show and Body Studies
The Ballet Académie Gallery– 200 Polk St. / 337-280-0964 New Realm- Works by Amy Guidry
Cajun Spice– 535 Jefferson St / 337-232-3061 Phyllis Smith
Cité des Arts– 109 Vine St. / 337-291-1122 Danny Clanton
Gallery 549– 549 Jefferson St. / 337-593-0796 Group exhibition
Gallery R (at The Russo Group)- 116 E. Congress St. / 337-769-1530 Sonny Monteleone
Lounge Art Gallery– 402 S. Buchanan St. / 337-236-5570 “To the Water…………” group exhibition
Sans Souci Gallery– 219 E. Vermilion St. / 337-266-7999 Luis Perez
Zoom Photo Studio– 205-AW. Vermilion St. / 337-781-2036 Chris Perkins and Travis Gauthier
I get so many questions about my work ranging from simple to philosophical, so today I thought I’d post about one of the more fun ones. Sort of a Where’s Waldo post. So some of you have asked about the models I’ve used in my paintings, which have always been varied from series to series. However, there is one model that has been used for almost every body of work. If you’ve been following my work since the early days, you probably know the answer to this. Aside from using my own face, the next cheap and readily available model I know is my husband. Depending on the painting, some are an exact resemblance, some take artistic license, and some don’t even feature his face (i.e. Everything’s Coming Up Roses). So here are some of the paintings he has appeared in some form or another:
“Zachary” by Amy Guidry; acrylic on canvas; 26″w x 22″h; (c) Amy Guidry 2005; Collection of The Cedar Rapids Museum of Art
“United Isolation” by Amy Guidry; acrylic on canvas; 48″ w x 36″h; (c) Amy Guidry 2007; Private Collection
“Everything’s Coming Up Roses” by Amy Guidry; acrylic on canvas; 40″w x 30″h; (c) Amy Guidry 2015; Collection of The City of Slidell
“Burden to Bear” by Amy Guidry; acrylic on canvas; 11″w x 14″h; (c) Amy Guidry 2010; Private Collection
“Vulnerable” by Amy Guidry; acrylic on canvas; 24″w x 12″h; (c) Amy Guidry 2011
“Zachary II” by Amy Guidry; acrylic on canvas; 30″w x 24″h; (c) Amy Guidry 2005
“Synergy” by Amy Guidry; acrylic on canvas; 8″w x 10″h; (c) Amy Guidry 2011; Available through The Shop Gallery, New Orleans
As you may recall, I posted earlier that I would be the juror for the Eye of the Beholder XXVI competition at the Lafayette Art Association. I made my selections for the awards (note: you’ll have to wait until the reception to know the results- my lips are sealed) and upon writing my juror’s statement, I thought it might be helpful to those that enter or even attend such events to know what it is like from the other side. First, I am an artist- I am usually the one submitting my work for judgement, be it a juried exhibition, an exhibition proposal to a gallery, or a portfolio review. I’ve always had some semblance of what it must be like for a juror to sort through hundreds of entries, having to make tough calls, and break hearts. Given the fact that I am an artist and know firsthand what it is like to be on the receiving end, I know how significant my choices are to the artists involved. In some ways I think it may be harder for artists to serve as jurors simply because we know what it is like to subject ourselves to these critiques. Some of the artists were complete beginners up against established artists. Nevertheless, I remained as objective as possible and looked at each piece as an individual. It was not easy given there were many strong works. There were even significant works that did not receive an award.
After I made my selections, I felt good about the variety of work, in which my eclectic taste came in handy for once. I would have loved to give everyone an award for their efforts and to acknowledge the merits of their work but at the same time, I wouldn’t want to diminish the awards for those pieces I felt were particularly strong. It is a tough call, and I can say from experience that there are many factors involved in judging a show, some of which are completely out of the artist’s hands and are nothing against the work itself. Sometimes the only difference between an award-winner and a non-award winning piece is an emotional response. That doesn’t mean the work isn’t any good- it’s my response, therefore it will be different from person to person.
In the end, I hope that the artists know that they have all contributed to make a great exhibit. I also hope that they continue to challenge themselves as well as aim for more exhibits and competitions. And the take-away here is just because a piece isn’t selected doesn’t mean it should be taken out of rotation. If it’s a work that you are fond of, keep submitting it for other opportunities.
If you would like to see the results and show your support for the artists, please attend the awards reception on August 19th from 4:30-6pm at the Lafayette Art Association on 1008 E. St. Mary Blvd.
“Succession” by Amy Guidry; acrylic on canvas; 6″w x 12″h; SOLD; (c) Amy Guidry 2012
I’ve just finished another painting in the In Our Veins series while simultaneously working on my painting One for The Great West Coast Migration exhibit. This painting is titled Succession and is 6″ wide by 12″ high, acrylic on canvas. It just arrived at Wally Workman Gallery in Austin, TX the other day and will be included in their upcoming show, 100 Degrees, starting August 4th through September 1st. When working on this piece, I was thinking of orders- biological orders, our need for order, hierarchy. The human skull at the bottom leads up to larger animals and butterflies, illustrating how new life grows and is sustained by dead organisms. The horse and the rose at the top- though I took artistic liberty with the rose- utilize their placement and size to emphasize their importance. While humans may be the more dominant species, I wanted to focus on the significance and the role of other species in nature.
View the painting online here: www.amyguidry.com/succession.html. You can also see it in person at Wally Workman Gallery in Austin, TX during the 100 Degrees Preview Party on August 2nd from 6-8pm and during the opening reception August 4th from 6-8pm.
