"Sandhya" by Amy Guidry; acrylic on canvas; (c) Amy Guidry 2011
Two more of my paintings have recently found new homes. (They are my babies, so I do think of them as growing up and finding homes of their own.) Both are from my 2005-2006 series of portraits- “Sandhya” and “Man in the Park.” They are both acrylic on canvas, and the same dimensions as well- 26 inches wide by 22 inches high, framed. “Man in the Park” is actually now in the permanent collection of the Alexandria Museum of Art in Alexandria, Louisiana.
"Man in the Park" by Amy Guidry; acrylic on canvas; (c) Amy Guidry 2011
As you may know from an earlier post, my website will be getting a makeover (it’s just going on behind the scenes so my site is still currently up and running). And since my portfolio is always expanding and there are very few portraits still available, I’ve decided to remove the portraits from the new site. You will still be able to enjoy them online elsewhere, though- such as this blog as well as my Facebook Fan Page. I’ll be revealing the new look soon, but in the meantime you can still check out all of my work at www.AmyGuidry.com.
I’ve just finished another painting in the “In Our Veins” series. This one is titled “The Pack” and is an acrylic on canvas, 20″ wide by 10″ high. I took “some” photos of the painting as I was working on it from start to finish. Going through them, I just think “UGH!” I’m happy with the end result, but I have to admit that my back, neck, and shoulders took a beating after pouring long hours into this one. For a closer look at the finished piece, visit this direct link: AmyGuidry.com-The Pack.
Original drawing on canvas for "The Pack" by Amy GuidryInitial rough layer of paint for "The Pack" Finished rough layer of "The Pack" by Amy GuidryNext layer of paint is added to the sky, intensifying the colorSky has another layer of paint added, reaching the desired hueClouds are finished and have their final layer of paint added to brighten the whitest areasNext layer of paint is added to the desert sand to smooth it outFinal layer of paint added to sand to bring out the detailsFinishing touches are added to the desert- small rocks are addedInitializing the next layer to the cliffs in the background, starting on the leftStill working my way across the cliffs, adding paint, and then reworking details as I goCliffs are now finished, now on to the wolves, going left to right againWorking on wolf #1, adding another layer of paint, then cleaning up details as I go- hair, eyes, mouth, etc.Wolf #1 just about done, started next layer on wolf 2 before I finish the front leg of wolf 1Final details to wolf 2 added, then finished up the leg of wolf 1 since those fine hairs need to be added Adding next layer of paint to wolf 3, focusing on the darkest areas first to build up the colorsBuilt up the darkest areas, now adding details- hairs along the back- and working in lighter tonesFinished details to wolf 3, now adding next layer to wolf 4, building up dark areasNext layer of paint on wolf 4 complete, now adding hair detail, and lighter tonesFinished the hair details to wolf 4 as well as the detail in the feetFinally at the last wolf, adding next layer of paint, adding darker tonesBuilding up the tones in the last wolf, adding details as well- face, eyes, hairsFinished piece- "The Pack" by Amy Guidry; (c) Amy Guidry 2011
"Adaptation" by Amy Guidry; acrylic on canvas, 36"w x 48"h; (c) Amy Guidry 2011
I recently received some exciting news- my paintings “Adaptation” and “Freedom” have been selected for the cover and inside, respectively, of the Summer edition of the CALYX Journal. CALYX is a journal of art and literature by women and has been publishing for over 35 years now. I’m honored to have been selected and featured among such a talented group. CALYX was also the first in the United States to publish in color the works of my favorites in Surrealist art, Frida Kahlo. My work will be in the Summer edition, which will be available in July. More details to follow soon.
If you live in Lafayette, Louisiana, or even in the Acadiana area, you are probably familiar with Gallery 549. Gallery 549 is one of several gallery hot-spots during Artwalk in downtown Lafayette, and one of my personal favorites to visit. So I’m happy to say that I will be showing there next month as part of the annual Spring group exhibition. I’ll be showing works from my “In Our Veins” series, all new and not previously exhibited- so this will be their debut! If you are in the area, this is your chance to see my work in person. I show all over the country, so I really love it when I have the opportunity to show in a local venue so that friends and family can attend. The opening reception will be held during the Second Saturday Artwalk in April (which will be April 9th) from 6-8pm. Hope to see you there!
Oh, and for those of you who are out of area, you can visit my work virtually at www.AmyGuidry.com.
"Fragility" by Amy Guidry, acrylic on canvas, (c) Amy Guidry 2011
Lots going on as of late. I will be revealing a new painting pretty soon. My website is currently getting a makeover which will be unveiled soon, hopefully. And I’ve had shows coming down and new ones about to go up. Recently my painting “Fragility” was sold and has found a new home in NYC. This is one from my latest series of work “In Our Veins.” It’s a 6″ x 6″, acrylic on canvas. I will miss him… “Fragility” was also featured recently on Beautiful Decay along with several other paintings from the series, which you can view at http://beautifuldecay.com/2011/02/21/amy-guidry/.
Occasionally I get asked if I ship my work, which is a common question among artists and non-artists alike. The thought of packaging an original work of art and handing it over to a carrier is scary. I will admit that it makes me anxious. However, after reviewing the methods of other shipping companies, as well as researching the internet, I have been successfully packaging my own work for transit for a few years now. I have to say that this was not only a financial decision, but also based on a bad experience in which one of my paintings was damaged by a shipping company. So here are the steps I follow when shipping my paintings:
– Wrap the front and sides of the canvas with glassine paper. This can be found online at just about any art supply shop. Be sure to tape the paper to the back, not the front of the canvas.
– Then wrap the painting front and sides with a sheet of mylar. I like Grafix Dura-Lar which you can find on Utrecht.com. This helps protect against moisture due to climate/temperature change.
– Bubble wrap the painting with large bubble wrap, covering the back as well. I like to then wrap it again with another sheet of bubble wrap. Try to limit the tape to just along the sides to help prevent someone from cutting into the painting when removing tape.
– Prep your box for transit. I like the ones offered by U-Line (uline.com) since they have boxes specifically for artwork. I suggest getting one that leaves a minimum 3 inches of space around your painting.
– Tape one end of the box together with clear packing tape, covering it horizontally and vertically as well as along the seams of the box and corners.
– While the box is empty, I like to mark it with a permanent marker, writing “Fragile” on all sides of the box and I put an “up” arrow along where the top is. Also, it helps the gallery if you write your name (I just use my last name since it’s unique enough) on the box as well. Just be sure that it is away from the “Fragile” signs to help with visibility.
– Before stuffing the box, I use a few extra sheets of cardboard to protect the “body” of the box and the painting. I like to have 2 sheets on either side of the painting, but if it’s really thick you can use one on each side. The cardboard should be cut to cover the painting but be just smaller than the inside of the box to ensure a good fit.
– When shipping a larger painting, I like to use a couple of sheets of thin wood such as luan, which I get at Home Depot. I will also add a couple of sheets of cardboard as well, if space allows.
– Line the bottom of your box with crumpled brown kraft paper or tissue paper. I advise against colored tissue paper or newspaper in case of bleeding. Magazine pages are okay, but don’t look as “professional” so maybe consider where this is going first. Pack the bottom well, especially the corners of the box.
– Place the wrapped painting in the box, between the sheets of cardboard so there are even amounts on each side. If using luan, place the painting between the luan, leaving extra cardboard evenly on each side.
– Line the sides of the box with more kraft paper or tissue paper. If the box is large, you may need a dowel or broomstick to help push the paper down the sides to ensure they are properly stuffed.
– Finish with kraft paper or tissue across the top of the painting. If including a gallery contract or other paperwork, I put that information in a 9×12 envelope and place it across the top of the painting before adding kraft paper. Then seal with clear packing tape, again going horizontally and vertically.
In cases where the work will be shipped back to me, I like to include a typed packing instruction sheet for the gallerist. Make sure your name, contact info, and the name of your painting is on the sheet as well. This way you can ensure that your painting is packaged in the same manner as it was received.
Also, I won’t promote any one carrier, but I will say that I prefer 2-day Air shipping. It can be expensive depending on the size of the piece, but it goes through the least number of hands. (Other than overnight, which is $$.)
Artist Amy Guidry discussing her work with reporter Kevin Chiri
First, I must point out that this is my own personal account regarding my efforts to market my art, so bear in mind that some things may work better for others. That said, I’ve done a lot of research over the years regarding the business side of art. All of these accounts are from others’ own personal dealings as well, so I like to rely on a broad spectrum of sources. So enough blabbing, here’s the gist of it:
I’ve been tracking my website (www.AmyGuidry.com) stats for years, which is the only way I can know (other than someone telling me personally) that someone has been checking out my work. I’ve noticed that some sources that once were good generators of publicity, have fallen by the wayside a bit. I’m almost certain that this (yes, I hate to say it) is because as soon as the economy took a dive, many people were dropping their subscriptions and I think some were just less interested in purchasing artwork, therefore not looking it up on the internet so much, either. For instance, when I would have a feature article about my work in a magazine, I’d see a huge spike in my website stats. Now, not so much.
So what does this mean? Well, for starters, now is the time for artists to up their efforts (if you haven’t already) when it comes to marketing your work. Studies have shown that those who keep marketing despite an economic depression, thrive later on because they have maintained their brand status while those that didn’t tend to lose customers in the long run. They appear less successful because they couldn’t “afford” (though you can market your work for free thanks to the internet) to advertise their product or services. And they were more likely to be forgotten because their name/brand was not being repeated. Also good to note here that it takes an estimated seven times for an ad to sink in to its viewers. So a one-time ad is most certainly not enough.
Back to my personal findings- what has worked according to my stats is #1 Direct traffic. Which is great and should be your main effort because it means people are directly going to your site. You stand out to them, you are the authority to refer to, your art is memorable, etc. So this means that handing out those business cards is working. #2 is Google. Yes, it is “the” search engine according to my stats. I know that this is due to my web ranking. If you look up my name, my website is at the top. Not Facebook. This is good because you want your site to be the place people go to find you. Those social media sites are great, but again, you have to stay ahead of them in your rankings. That said, the rest of my referrals come from a mix of social media sites, blogs, websites, and emails (which may be direct traffic, basically, since I like to put my website at the bottom of my emails). I can’t say one is better than the other since they vary from month to month and even day to day. However, the good news is they are all free advertising. So there’s no cost to you (other than your studio time- so be careful) to “advertise” through all of them.
Before I forget, I should clarify that this doesn’t mean I think you should abandon other marketing sources such as magazines, radio, newspapers, etc. I would advise using that time and money (if you are buying ads) wisely and pick and choose the ones that best suit your work and reach your target audience.
I wanted to share one of my latest paintings from my “In Our Veins” series. The title is “Mother Nature” and it is an acrylic on canvas, 6″ x 6.” This is one of the more overtly vegan paintings from the series. I’m disturbed by the fact that humans are willing to drink what is “breast milk” even though they are adults (and it’s not even from their own species!). Yuck. It’s no wonder so many people are lactose-intolerant… because it’s not natural! I wanted to create a piece around this concept, ironically naming it “Mother Nature” because there is nothing natural about it. That said, I have a few pics of my process to share. You can see the finished piece on my website at this link: www.AmyGuidry.com- Mother Nature.
Initial drawing and start of rough layer of paint for “Mother Nature”
Intial rough layer of paint complete
Another rough layer of paint for the field and sky
The sky is now complete after adding another good layer of paint
Details are added to the grassy field
Detailed grass in the field is now finished; On to the cow next
Calf details such as tufts of hair are added and dark and light values developed
The Prospect New Orleans Benefit- Throwdown.1.5- last Saturday was a big hit. Many people were in attendance after the Julia St. Artwalk in New Orleans. My painting “Kerry” now has a new home (see previous post). And I met some other exhibiting artists as well. So if you missed the event, here are a few photos to enjoy the event vicariously. You can see more at this direct link: www.amyguidry.com/events.html.
Artist Amy Guidry with Dan Cameron, Founder/Director of Prospect New Orleans Biennial
Guests at the Throwdown.1.5 auction, New Orleans
Exhibiting artists Wayne Ditch, Amy Guidry, and Jessica Goldfinch
This weekend I will be one of the artists featured in the Throwdown.1.5 auction to benefit the Prospect New Orleans Biennial. It’s for a great cause and it’s in New Orleans, so all the more reason to go! I am honored to be included amongst such great artists, some of which are from my own area. My painting “Kerry” from my 2005/2006 series will be up for auction. It is an acrylic on canvas, framed, and total size dimensions are 16″w x 13″h (view more of my work at www.AmyGuidry.com). The event will be held at Stage 3, Secondline Stages in New Orleans this Saturday, February 5th from 8-11pm. So if you are out and about for the artwalk, stop by afterwards. Tickets are available online at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/146659.
Artists featured in the auction include: Wayne Amedee, Luis Cruz Azaceta, Kathleen Banton, Mark Bercier, Tim Best, Brice Bischoff, Jessica Bizer, Ralph Bourque, Hannah Chalew, Stephen Collier, Beth Dary, Luke Dubois, Aubrey Edwards, Lin Emery, Amy Guidry, Brian Guidry, Sally Heller, Chris Jahncke, Dick Johnson, Rachel Jones, Krista Jurisich, Les Lawrence, Charles Lovell, Sophie Lvoff, Carolyn McAdams, Natalie McLaurin, Michael Pajon, Francis X. Pavy, Mary Jane Parker, Stephanie Patton, Anastasia Pelias, Emily Sartor, Kate Samworth, Karoline Schleh, Regina Scully, Elizabeth Shannon, Dan Tague, Steven Tetters, Michel Varisco, and Monica Zeringue
