“Omen” by Amy Guidry; Acrylic on canvas; 12″ x 6″; (c) Amy Guidry 2023
Revealing my latest painting Omen. The sketch for this started in 2017 and I opted to do an entirely different painting. I revisited it and made a few changes. Fun fact: polar bears can’t climb trees. They lost that trait since they evolved in the Arctic where there are no trees. Omen is an acrylic on canvas, 12″ wide by 6″ high, and you can view it online here: https://amyguidry.com/omen.html.
“Sustain” by Amy Guidry; Acrylic on canvas; 12″ x 12″; (c) Amy Guidry 2018
I’m happy to announce that for the first time, my painting Sustain will soon be released as a limited edition run of giclée prints. The overall print size is 12” wide by 12” high with an image size 10” wide by 10” high. It will be a limited edition of 50 prints for $50 each. If you would like to be notified as soon as they are available, contact me via my website at : https://amyguidry.com/contact.html.
“Vestige” by Amy Guidry; Acrylic on canvas; 12″ x 12″; (c) Amy Guidry 2017
I’m so happy to announce my finished painting, Vestige. It features a grizzly bear atop old cars in a junkyard. Flowers grow out of his back as a reminder of the connection of all life forms and also serving as a symbol of a vestige of nature among waste.
When I was a child, I diligently worked on a book I was “writing” about animals (it mostly consisted of drawings). My thinking was that if they were good enough illustrations, people would then care about animals as much as I did. I still feel the same today- paint animals so that people will care about them, see them, really see them, for who they are, all part of this Earth.
While working on this painting, I’ve been focused on how much gets sent to landfills, creating a new “landscape” in which trees are removed and replaced with garbage. It has even inspired a recycling fiend such as myself to discover new ways to reduce and reuse.
Painting in progress by Amy Guidry; Acrylic on canvas; 12″ x 12″; (c) Amy Guidry 2017
After working on a few other projects for upcoming shows, I finally have a chance to get back to my grizzly bear painting. And I’m at the point where I can work on the face, which is when it really comes to life. The subject becomes more real to me once I paint the eyes. Even if I don’t know the subject, it’s when I paint the eyes that they come to life. They take on a personality. It’s exciting for me as an artist to witness that transformation.
This painting is an acrylic on canvas, 12″ by 12.” I’ll be posting the finished piece soon. In the meantime, you can check out the rest of the In Our Veins series here: https://amyguidry.com/gallery.html.
These are a few photos from opening night for the “Face to Face” exhibition at LeMieux Galleries in New Orleans. Artists represented by the gallery as well as a few new artists have created their own interpretation of portraiture, ranging from the traditional to the abstract. The show is up now through July 29th, so there’s still time to see the exhibit.
Amy Guidry with her painting, “Sentience,” acrylic on canvas, 6″ x 6″ (c) Amy Guidry 2017
“Sentience” by Amy Guidry, acrylic on canvas, 6″ x 6″; (c) Amy Guidry 2017
“Preservation” and “Sustain” by Amy Guidry; both acrylic on canvas; (c) Amy Guidry 2017
Artist Amy Guidry and LeMieux Galleries co-owner Jordan Blanton at the opening reception for “Face to Face”; (c) Amy Guidry 2017
Artists Amy Guidry and John Isiah Walton at LeMieux Galleries, New Orleans; (c) Amy Guidry 2017
“Preservation” and “Shelter” by Amy Guidry; both acrylic on canvas; (c) Amy Guidry 2017
“Pervasive” by Amy Guidry; acrylic on canvas; 10″w x 20″ h; (c) Amy Guidry 2017
“Pervasive” by Amy Guidry; Acrylic on canvas; 10″w x 20″h; (c) Amy Guidry 2017
“Sentience” by Amy Guidry; Acrylic on canvas; 6″ x 6″; SOLD; (c) Amy Guidry 2017
I’ve just finished both paintings previously featured while in progress. Pervasive and Sentiencewill both be on exhibit for the opening at LeMieux Galleries in New Orleans tomorrow (June 3, 2017). Pervasive has been a long time in the making. I’m sometimes asked if living in Louisiana affects my work. Given that my work deals with the welfare of our planet, many of the issues that Louisiana faces (habitat loss, flooding, BP oil spill, hurricanes) are something that I cover but on more of a global scale. Pervasive is one of the most direct pieces I’ve done, focusing on the conservation of Louisiana wildlife and wetlands. The BP oil spill not only affected the wildlife of Louisiana, but it continues to affect the wildlife of rest of the world to this day as bird and sea animals continue to migrate. It may be asking a lot of a painting, but I hope that it has a big impact.
Sentience was specifically created for the “Face to Face” exhibit opening at LeMieux Galleries. The exhibit features a range of interpretations of portraiture. In Sentience, the butterflies represent the beauty and fragility of life, while the third eye represents enlightenment. The eye is a human eye, referring to the fact that we are all members of the animal kingdom, and can see a bit of ourselves in the personalities of other animals. Sentience is an acrylic on canvas, 6″wide by 6″high.
Both paintings will be on view tomorrow, June 3rd for the opening reception from 6-8pm. The exhibit will remain up through July 29th, 2017.
“Integral” by Amy Guidry; Acrylic on canvas; 20″w x 10″h; (c) Amy Guidry 2017
I’m happy to announce that I was recently invited to participate in an upcoming exhibit at the Amelia Center Gallery at Gulf Coast State College in Panama City, Florida. The exhibition is titled “Menagerie” and it focuses on animals, covering a wide range of topics from environmental concerns, to societal constructs, to self-examination, to the pure celebration of nature. It will run from Feb. 3- March 3rd, 2017.
“On the Rise” by Amy Guidry; acrylic on canvas; 10″w x 20″h; (c) Amy Guidry 2016
I will have work in the upcoming “Emerging to Established” group exhibition at Krause Gallery in New York, NY in January 2017. The exhibit opens January 7th, 2017 with a reception from 6-8pm and will remain up through January 31st.
“See animals and the environment through a surrealist’s eyes”; Mother Nature Network
I’m happy to announce that I was recently interviewed by the Mother Nature Network for a feature on their site. Starre Vartan asked me about my work and the connection to animals and ecological welfare. Here is just a sample of what we discussed:
MNN: In Our Veins is dominated by horses, deer, bears, wolves, rabbits, cows and humans. Why these animals?
AG: I feel like a lot of these animals blur the line between what would be considered domestic and what would be considered wild. As more wild habitat is being encroached upon by new houses and shopping malls, these animals are being forced out of their homes and find themselves having to adapt to this new urban landscape. They are wild, yet at the same time, people either think of them as cute nomads or dangerous intruders, depending on the species.
I’ll use cows because I feel like they are the epitome of the agribusiness animal. They are used for meat, dairy, and leather, and it’s because of them that forests are cleared and “predatory” animals are killed — all for the sake of ranching.
As for incorporating humans, I do so to emphasize that we are all part of the animal kingdom. I’ll sometimes combine a human with another animal to illustrate that connection. Other times, I may just paint the human brain as a symbol of sentience and our moral obligation to the welfare of these animals.
Cover of The Journal featuring “Vital” by Amy Guidry; acrylic on canvas; 12″w x 6″h
My work was recently published on the cover and inside The Journal literary magazine. My painting Vital is wrapped around the front and back cover while several other paintings from my In Our Veins series are inside. In addition, there is an interview in which I’d like to share just one of the questions because I think it’s an important one:
SS: Is there anything you can tell me about this work that someone who doesn’t have expertise might not see or appreciate?
AG: I think people need to realize this: they are much more astute when it comes to art than they give themselves credit for. True art will elicit an emotional response from someone, whether it’s a positive or negative reaction. For those that enjoy my work, they often tell me that something resonates with them. It may not be exactly what I expect the viewer to respond to, but it’s in the ballpark. There have been times when someone finds my work “dark” and therefore they are unsure of it. I would still consider that an accurate response because I deal with some tough issues in my work. Animals are beautiful, nature is beautiful, and I’m trying to create something that is beautiful but at the same time sends a message. Either way, I want to draw attention to these issues and inspire others to take action, even if it’s just small changes because every little bit helps. That’s the takeaway I hope for when anyone looks at my work, whether they have an art degree or not.
