Small... But Not Restricted

Tessa Guzé, Fearless, 12" x 16" 2013

The Galleries at Moore are currently having an exhibition of alumni work titled Small... but Not Restricted. The Galleries at Moore are located on the campus of Moore College of Art & Design in center city Philadelphia, PA. I submitted this small oil painting titled Fearless.

 

Photo of Small...But Not Restricted Annual Alumni Exhibition 2014

This is one of the first oil paintings I completed after the birth of my daughter. (Besides a children's book commission that was due a month after she was born and barely got finished in time!) It was of course inspired by her, though not a portrait. At six weeks her first bashful and cheeky smiles were already lighting up the room. However time to paint is still something I have to steal during her naps. 

I did the underdrawing for this while she was napping in my left arm, and I did the painting during a second 45 minute nap the next day. Having this kind of time pressure is definitely freeing up my painting and allowing me to be looser and more painterly! Here is a photo of the inspiration itself. 

THE INSPIRATION!

Four months later and still my greatest source of inspiration, don't think this is going to change any time soon.

To see more of my paintings please visit my portfolio website. 

Blue Sari - painting process

Tessa Guzé, Blue Sari 2012, 16"x20"

This is a painting of a young girl from Mumbai wearing a blue sari. This painting is currently on display at the Durham Arts Council. 

I took a few photos as I worked on this painting to show my painting process. 

I started by toning the canvas with a thin layer of blue oil paint because I knew I wanted this painting to have blue undertones. 

toned canvas

After the canvas was toned and dried I drew a rough charcoal sketch on the canvas. I like to do a sketch in charcoal instead of an underpainting because it is quicker, but it still helps to map out the painting and determine values.

charcoal sketch

After the sketch was completed I sprayed it with workable fixative, this stops the charcoal from running and muddying the oil paint. Then I did the painting in oil paint, using turpentine and linseed oil.

Finished painting

If you would like to see more of my work please visit my painting portfolio or my paintings, portraits and illustrations blog.

Walking to School

Tessa Guzé, Walking to School, oil on canvas, 2011

This painting is currently on exhibition as part of a solo show of my work, titled "Beginner's Mind: Painting with an Open Heart". It just sold to another artist! The reception for the show is this Friday, from 5-7pm at the Durham Arts Council, in NC.

This is painting of one of the students I taught when I was working in a shanty town in Jaipur, India.

If you are interested in seeing more of my work please visit my painting portfolio website or my general artists blog. 

Street Cook

Tessa Guze, Street Cook, oil on canvas, 24" x 18"

This is a painting of a South Korean street vender cooking spicy rice cakes.

To see more of my paintings visit my website or my artists blog. 

Blue Sari

Tessa Guze, Mumbai Girl, oil on canvas, 16"x20"

This is a painting of a young girl from Mumbai wearing a blue sari.

If you would like to see more of my work please visit my painting portfolio or my artist blog. 

Korean Child Monk

Tessa Guze, Child Monk, oil on canvas,  30"x40"

In South Korea Buddha's birthday is a holiday celebrated on May 28th. There are many celebrations leading up to holiday one of which is a temple stay experience for children. They have their heads saved and get to experience living like a monk.

If you are interested in seeing more of my work please visit my painting portfolio website or my artist's blog.

Women's Works, 25th Anniversary Show

Tessa Guze, Lips, oil on canvas,

This painting is in the Women's Works 2012 25th Anniversary Show, in the Old Court House Arts Center in Woodstock, Illinois. This show is run by the NAAC (Northwest Area Arts Council).
The show opens on March 8th. There will be a Gala Night Opening Reception is March 24th at 7PM CST with over 500 people attending. The show will continue through April 29th.
For more information about the show you can visit NAAC's website: www.naac4art.org or the Women's Works website: www.womensworks.net. Anyone in the area please stop by and check out the show!
If you are interested in seeing more similar work please visit the portraits page of my website.

HeART for Hope

Tessa Guze, Determination, oil on canvas

The Duange Prateep Foundation is organizing an art exhibition and auction to mark the first anniversary of the Japanese tsunami. Artworks have been donated by artists from all over the world and will be auctioned. The money raised from the auction will fun a nine-day-camp for Japanese and Thai victims of the tsunamis and other severe hardships. They will learn that they are not alone in their present suffering. There are other victims who have shared similar fates. They will engage in activities of experience-sharing and mutual support so they can begin to emerge from their current suffering and find hope in their futures.


The exhibition and auction will be held on March 10-12, 2012 at the Central World Complex at Rajprasong, Bankok.

Intension

Tessa Guze, Intension, oil on canvas

Tessa Guze, Intension, Sketch, oil on canvas

To see more similar work please visit my painting portfolio website or my artists blog.

My Philadelphia

Tessa Guze, My Philadelphia, oil on canvas 2011

This painting is a part of the "My Philadelphia" exhibition at Prelude Gallery in Philadelphia. The exhibition runs from December 7 -17th.
 Leaving Philadelphia and moving to another country, I have missed many things but the things I have missed most are my friends. This painting is of my friend Alex. Alex born and raised in Philly, epitomizes all of the things that I love about Philly, she is street smart, tough and full of energy, excitement and life.


To see more similar work please visit painting portfolio website or artists blog.

Bottled Water

Tessa Guze, Bottled Water, oil and charcoal on canvas

Alone

Tessa Guze, Alone, Oil on Canvas

Street Dog

Tessa Guze, Street Pup, oil on canvas

This is a painting of a half starved street dog in India.

Unescorted

Unescorted, Oil on Canvas

This is a painting I did a little over a year ago when I was applying for a fellowship from Moore College of Art & Design. The fellowship ended up funding my trip to India.

Walking Home

Walking Home

This is a painted of a little boy I used to teach.  When I was in Jaipur India, I volunteered to teach in an impoverished shanty town.

Help?

Tessa Guze, Help, Oil on Canvas

This is a painting of a beggar in India.

To see more of my paintings please visit my fine arts portfolio website or my artists blog.

A Safe Place to Sleep

Tessa Guze, Sleeping Alone, oil on canvas, 2011

Indian street dog sleeping on a ledge.

If you would like to see more of my animal paintings or fine arts paintings please visit my website or my pet paintings blog or artists blog.

Memory Portrait 1

Tessa Guze, Memory Portrait, Oil Paint

This is a portrait of the lady who lived next door to the school where I taught english in Jaipur, India. Our school was really just in the space between two peoples houses with a tarp as a roof to keep rain and sun out. Every morning, this lady and the rest of her family would step over my students when needed to come and go from their house.

My tiny school, its the space between the buildings under the blue tarp.

My students trying to fix an extra tarp on our school to shield us from the summer sun.

The Ship Wrecker

Tessa Guze, The Shipwreacker, oil on Canvas

This is a painting of a ship wrecker in Bangladesh, he is using rags in an attempt to protect himself from the many dangerous chemicals. The process of breaking down ships produces so many dangerous chemicals, that most countries have created laws to protect the workers. Breaking down ships in a safe way proves to be more expensive than the profit made by the parts so it is no longer done in many places. However there are still people desperate enough that they are forced to risk the dangers.

About this blog

Tessa Guze, Water, oil on canvas

My name is Tessa Guze. I am an oil painter. As an oil painter I do various painting work, (illustrations, commissions, portraits) because I enjoy it and because it helps me make a living. However I also do paintings for myself because I just cannot help it. This blog is where I am going to showcase these paintings.

I think of this body of work as my "Fine Arts" work because this is the work I do for myself because I feel compelled to. These paintings are the expression of things/people/places/animals that I feel a deep emotional connection and response to.

I hope you enjoy me work here. If you are interested in seeing my other work please visit my painting portfolio website tessaguze.com, my artists blog, my portrait paintings blog or my pet portrait blog.

Thank you for your interest! I would appreciate any feedback you care to give!