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Sunday, November 23, 2014

Last Undergraduate Art Exhibit

Selfie with my artwork
Selfie with my artwork
It has been three days since the opening of my Bachelor of Fine Art Exhibit. I have rested a tiny bit yet I'm full of energy and pumped! Maybe because a HUGE weight has been lifted of my shoulders. I didn't even realize that I was stressed out about my upcoming show.
 
 
Well now the highly anticipated day that I was counting down to arrived and passed by. It left me a feeling of accomplishment and confidence. My family, friends and fellow classmates all came out and supported my big night. I have to say I am blessed to have them all.
Life long friends
Life long friends
 
I'm a type A personality with a pinch of anal added to the mix. I knew my Senior Show was a big deal and I have prepared for some time. Even with the extra time I was still running behind. I wanted everything to be perfect because these were not strangers coming, these were the close people in my life. This show in my opinion is more personal than graduation. Graduation you share with your entire graduating class not  & all your family can not make it. This show is all about YOU and your art and anyone that wants to attend can.
Some of the many people that came out to support me
Some of the many people who came out to support me, my sorority sisters
The night of the exhibit I had a few VIP artists give me A-M-A-Z-I-N-G critiques. I kept saying be brutally honest I can take it and they promised they were. This was my entire night, now you can understand the confidence part. Three hours went by so fast and smoothly. Everyone was interested in hearing about my process and the inspiration of my art.
LeslieGuzmanBFAExhibit (106)1
Either way it is all over and I feel ready for the next step, graduation. It is now only 20 days until that big day. Now that the big exhibit is over, I'm more than ready to walk the stage and get my diploma. I'm ready to start adult life and create art.
These are only a few of the pictures from the opening night. You can see the rest on my Facebook Page.

Thursday, November 6, 2014

An Artist Statement is the Artist Voice

This is what our invitations looks like
This is what our invitations looked like at the first draft
We all have read plenty of artists statement and artists have written several versions of them. Sometimes you read a statement that helps you understand the artwork or artist. Other times you cringe at the weird dark story you just had to endure. It is not easy to create an artist statement and some artists don't feel the need to explain their art.
 
 
I'm guilty of this last statement. I used to think that people should look and my artwork and they could or couldn't understand it, no difference to me. Well I was also just starting out, no one really explained an artist statement. Some professors prefer a short bio and others want a book. No one really breaks it down, maybe there is not a real way to do so.
What I have figured out through my trial and errors of writing my share of versions of my statement is that it is very important. (Yeah I was so wrong) The best way to explain the artist statement is our voice. I do not mean a full explanation of why you do art, or what made you an artist but a brief explanation of the overall picture of your art.
What I'm working on for my exhibit
What I'm working on for my exhibit
This is my Senior year and on my last month before graduation. Its down to the last details of preparation to for my exhibit and that means my final draft of my artist statement. At least the last one of my college career unless I decide to go to grad school. So the dread has set in of coming up with all the right things to write.
This last semester has been different from the rest. Reason for this, my last two studio classes are apprenticeships. These two classes gave me the freedom to experiment. Which in art means so much. I have slowly started finding my voice in my art, although I didn't see it right away. Then last week it slapped me in the face. Then I decided to take a day off from school and sit at home and analyze my new discovery.
Invitation I designed for my friends & family
Invitation I designed for my friends & family
It took me most of the day, did a bit of research, brain stormed and voilà an artist statement I am proud of! Now it hasn't made it through the chopping block (my professors) but I have faith in it. As I read it to myself I could understand myself as an artist. When you are jotting down your thoughts it's not the same as reading the last piece.
Something that helped me a lot to put everything into words I could understand where these 5 questions I found in my research:
What am I doing?
How am I doing it?
Why am I doing it?
What influences me the most?
What do I want other people to understand about my art?
Fast forward to today...
I just left our big meeting for our Senior exhibit. I'm already pulling my hair and ready to yell into a pillow. The show is November 20th, so that means two weeks from today. Well deadline has been set to have everything ready by next Friday and hung. Wow, that gives me 5 days less. But one thing I can scratch off the list, artist statement. It passed the professors chopping block with very few changes.
This is the first time that many people see that much of my work at once. Same thing goes for my artist statement. After the exhibit I hope I get feedback from my family & friends. Good or bad I don't care as long as I get a reaction and hopefully they understand me as an artist.

Friday, September 19, 2014

Two Houston Art Fairs

HFAF(3)2
Time is passing by fast, so fast.
I feel that the semester, my very last on e of my undergraduate career is moving in fast mode.  As of today I have only 84 days until the big day.  I've been trying to make the best of it and cram as much as I can.

Thursday, July 3, 2014

Studying Art in Historic Florence, Italy


©Leslie Guzmán 
One of my favorite places in Italy
A year ago I was in Italy. Wow how time flies!!! I have talked about studying abroad for years and years. Somewhere in Europe, I would always say. Maybe Spain the motherland or Italy full of Renaissance art. I wanted to stay for 6 months. Long story short, I had given up on this thought believing that realistically there was no way I could or would study abroad.

Friday, April 4, 2014

Rising Eyes of Texas

In front of the Rising Eyes of Texas sign
This post is only a month late but I had to write about the excitement about getting into Rising Eyes of Texas at the Rockport Center for the Arts in Rockport Texas. I almost didn't submit my work for the exhibit. I assumed I should not be trying to compete with graduate students who have been creating art for a lot longer than I have. Our dear Michael Collins is head of the Masters program here in my school, Houston Baptist University to be exact. He asked that the undergraduate students submit their work to Rising Eyes that there was nothing to loose. I say to myself, Michael is a very wise man, let me do what he tells me and I made it in the show!


Thursday, March 13, 2014

The Arts Alliance Art Exhibit

With my drawing titled Gigi


Now after a few years of studying art I can look back and appreciate every opportunity I have had along the way. Great professors that have advise to pass down and just experiences that help mold you as an artist. 

It feels like just yesterday when I was a part of The Arts Alliance Center Art Exhibit. I was lucky enough to get two art pieces in the show and a third promoted the exhibit at the University of Houston Clear Lake campus. 



Thursday, January 23, 2014

Remembering My First Art Exhibit

School just started and it has not been too productive. The first week is always discussion about what the semester will consist of and art supply shopping. That last part being my favorite! 

In the name of Throwback Thursday, I decided to include images from my very first art exhibit. This was three years ago. It is a little crazy how time goes by so fast, things change and you grow in so many ways.