"Boarfish" by Amy Guidry; From the New Realm series. (C) Amy Guidry 2009
I’ve recently sold another painting from my New Realm series. This one is titled “Boarfish” and was recently on exhibit at Galerie Lafayette in Lafayette, LA. I wanted to spotlight this character from a larger piece I had done titled “Acceptance.” BTW, “Acceptance” is now at Wally Workman Gallery in Austin, TX, so if you’re in the area, you should stop by to see it in person. It’s definitely a conversation starter to say the least. And since many people ask, here’s something educational for you (see, you can actually LEARN things on my blog…you’ll thank me later when this comes up on Jeopardy). According to Wikipedia, Boarfish is the common name of two unrelated groups of fishes: All fish of the family Caproidae are called boarfish. Some fish of the family Pentacerotidae are called boarfish. For the record, I knew nothing of this when I came up with my paintings, I just like boars and fish a lot. So I combined the two to create a friendly “beast” for my surreal fairytale. And if you’d like to see more of this series, be sure to visit my website at www.AmyGuidry.com
“Food or Pet? How Do You Decide?” by Amy Guidry; SOLD; (C) Amy Guidry 2009
I’m going out with a bang this year… just when I thought it was calming down. Ha! I will have work in two upcoming exhibits- the opening reception for both is on the same night. First, I am one of the invited artists in the Wally Workman Gallery exhibition, “Feast.” The title of the show does not necessarily pertain to food, so feast is open to interpretation. There is a preview of the show on December 3rd, from 6-8pm as part of their First Thursday Artwalk. The actual opening reception will be December 5th, from 6-8pm. In addition, they are hosting FINE FOOD ART NIGHT on December 10th 6-8pm. Edible Austin magazine will also be there for an evening of fine food and fine art. Local food tastings provided by the Austin chapter of Les Dames de Escoffier and local catering companies will be creating their culinary interpretations of pieces from the show. A portion of the proceeds will go to Urban Roots, a youth development program that uses sustainable agriculture as a means to transform the lives of young people and to increase the access of healthy food in Austin.
In addition, I will be participating in an art auction during Le Feu et l’Eau Rural Arts Celebration. Also known as the Fire and Water Festival. The Fire and Water Festival has a “warmup” event on December 4th from 7-11pm. The schedule has not been announced yet, but I can tell you it will most certainly involve lots of live music and lots of food. The actual event and auction will take place on December 5th from 11am-11pm.
So if you’ll be in Austin, TX, be sure to check out Wally Workman’s exhibit. And if you’e in Arnaudville, LA, check out the Fire and Water Festival. And if you’re able to teleport, do both. And if you can’t make it to either one, there’s always www.AmyGuidry.com
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!
“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.
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.
“Cocoon” by Amy Guidry- SOLD
Amy Guidry with her painting, “Introspective”
New Realm Solo Exhibition at Oak Street Gallery, Hammond, LA
Installation view of New Realm exhibition
From the New Realm series. Copyright Amy Guidry 2009
“Beginning” by Amy Guidry; From the New Realm series; SOLD; Copyright Amy Guidry 2009
For those of you planning on attending a local exhibition of my work (I tried to schedule more local shows this year for a change!), I have one coming up this summer! I will be showing at the Oak Street Gallery in Hammond, Louisiana this August. It will be a solo exhibition and will be up for the entire month. The opening reception will be August 21st, which is in conjunction with “Hot August Night.” “Hot August Night” is an annual event featuring wine tasting, art exhibits, live music, shopping and fine dining in Historic Downtown Hammond, LA. So if you are in the area, you can plan on a full itinerary for the evening!
The opening will be held from 6-9pm, while the festival itself is until 10 pm. I will be in attendance at the opening, so feel free to stop by and meet me in person!* There will be many paintings that have never been previously exhibited. All work is from my New Realm series, and will also feature the 5″ x 5″ series.
And if you won’t be able to travel, you can also check out my work online at www.AmyGuidry.com.
I get asked to donate my artwork fairly often. And this topic has been broached with me before in the art marketing class that I have conducted. So I thought it might be helpful to offer some insight into donations. First, you won’t be able to do them all- and please don’t feel bad about it. I get letters and emails requesting my work, sometimes several in one month. If I donated to all of them, I’d be out of paintings. And a girl’s gotta eat, so I have to have something left to sell. Next, you should decide who you’d like to help. Some charities hold the same art auction every year, so if it’s one that you would like to help on a continual basis, you can go ahead and plan on that and mark your calendar for it in the upcoming year(s). Or, you may like to alternate who you help and plan on donating to a different charity next go round just to even out the playing field a bit.
When deciding on who you would like to donate to, there are a few things to take into consideration. What does your donation do for this charity, organization, etc.? What will you be supporting? Does this follow your personal beliefs? What type of venue will hold the event? Who are the other participating artists? Would you be honored to have your work seen in such an event and amongst the other artists’ work? What kind of publicity will you gain from this experience? Will your donation conflict with another obligation, be it an exhibit, juried show, etc.?
I know this is a lot to consider and may even sound selfish, but the truth is, there’s much more to consider when donating your art than just simply writing a check to support a cause. This is about more than just money because it also involves time and labor- lots of it. You’re an artist, you know that it wasn’t easy to create this piece you’re about to give away. It took time, supplies, energy, creativity, willpower, and probably involved a personal sacrifice ranging anywhere from sleep to your family. So yes, you should consider what you get out of this. And if you decide that you can’t part with your work for whatever reason, but would truly like to help, simply write a check for this organization, charity, etc. You’ll directly help them without feeling guilty. And there’s certainly nothing wrong with just stating the truth- “I’d love to help, but I have [fill in other obligation here] and won’t be able to. But please add me to your mailing list, I’d love to donate next year.”
Thoughts? Questions? Let me know, either here or at www.AmyGuidry.com!
"Special Ingredients" by Amy Guidry; Copyright Amy Guidry 2009
I know, I know, not the most creative title for a post. Maybe I’m just tired…it’s been a long day and I’ve been out and about in this dreaded heat. Summer in Louisiana is miserable. Sooo, how appropriate that my next show is up north. R. Coury Fine Art Gallery in Savage, Maryland has a group show currently up for the next couple of months. My work is included in the exhibit, which is opening for their 3rd Friday Artwalk. The reception will take place June 19th from 6-8pm. So if you’re in the area, check it out. Or depending on how badly you want to get out of this heat, maybe you’ll take a trip up to MD. It’s at least 10 degrees cooler up there and probably not as humid… And if you’d like to just stay put and enjoy your air conditioning, you can always go to my website to see my work at www.AmyGuidry.com!
"Liberty" by Amy Guidry; From the New Realm series. Copyright Amy Guidry 2009
I must be feeling guilty about my blog abandonment since I’ve got two posts in one week… So here it is, the latest painting of my “New Realm” series. Not even on the website yet! Consider this a sneak preview that only my blog readers are in the know about. Feeling special yet? Okay, okay, so here are the details. The title is “Liberty” and this is another large piece since it is 36″ wide by 48″ high. And as per usual, it is an acrylic on canvas. This piece features the purple butterflies from many of the other paintings in the series. I thought of this one as an extension of “Release” which also features the purple butterflies seen from above. This painting will be part of my solo exhibition this October at Galerie Lafayette in downtown Lafayette, LA. If you’re in the area, you won’t want to miss the opportunity to see these paintings in person. The photo here does not do the piece justice. Anyway, if you’d like to find out more about my upcoming exhibits, sign up for my newsletter under my website contact page. And while you’re there, check out the rest of my work- www.AmyGuidry.com.
