The Art of Giving Reception

Tessa Guzé, 2012 Wine Label In Context

The (no name) Art Grout is having a reception for their wine label fundraiser The Art of Giving. It is on November 11th, 3-7pm at Encore Lounge, 112 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106. For more details click here.

This is the (no name) art group's 3rd annual Art of Giving wine label exhibit and fundraiser. The beneficiary of this fundraiser is Philabundance, a charity that is fighting hunger and malnutrition in Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley area.

Tessa Guzé, Celebrate 2012 Wine Label, Oil on canvas,

40 artists have participated, each creating a different label on the same theme, "Inspiration: The Love of Place". My painting is titled "Celebrate" and is inspired by the Dogon festivals in Mali. The Dogon people have various festivals were the men dress up in costumes and masks. They take place at varying intervals some only once every 12 years and the purpose is the binding of the spiritual world to the living world. During the Dama festivals the men go into caves and mourn the deaths that have occurred over the past 12 years and carve their masks. They then don the masks and dance for five days. These masks now have the power to drive away evil spirites. To see the link to my wine label please click here.

You can see all 40 wine labels by visiting the (no name) art group's website. 

To see more of my work please visit my painting portfolio website or my fine arts blog. Thank you!

The Art of Giving, 2012 Wine Label Fundraiser

This is a painting is did for the (no name) art group's 3rd annual Art of Giving wine label exhibit and fundraiser. The beneficiary of this fundraiser is Philabundance, a charity that is fighting hunger and malnutrition in Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley area.

Tessa Guzé, Celebrate 2012 Wine Label, Oil on canvas,

40 artists have participated, each creating a different label on the same theme, "Inspiration: The Love of Place". My painting is titled "Celebrate" and is inspired by the Dogon festivals in Mali. The Dogon people have various festivals were the men dress up in costumes and masks. They take place at varying intervals some only once every 12 years and the purpose is the binding of the spiritual world to the living world. During the Dama festivals the men go into caves and mourn the deaths that have occurred over the past 12 years and carve their masks. Then they don the masks and dance for five days. These masks now have the power to drive away evil spirites. To see the link to my wine label please click here.

Tessa Guzé, 2012 Wine Label In Context

Here are a few examples of other artists wine labels. 

E Bond, 2012 Wine Label

E Bond, a Moore Alum, designer and professor at Moore College of Art and Design.

Linda Mehnert, 2012 Wine Label

 A beautiful piece by Linda Mehnert.

Christina Hess, 2012 Wine Label

 Christina Hess, a professional illustrator and a former professor of mine at Moore College of Art & Design.

Deborah Larkin, 2012 Wine Label

Deborah Larkin, designer and another former professor of mine at Moore.

To see all 40 wine labels please visit the (no name) art group's website. You can purchase bottles of wine here with your choice of wine label. There is only a small window to make your purchases and a limited amount of wine so please make any purchases before Oct. 7th. 

For anyone living in the Philadelphia area there is going to be an reception on November 11th, 3-7pm at Encore Lounge, 112 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106. For more details click here. 

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

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.

Real People Exhibition

Tessa Guzé, Looking into Light 2012, oil on canvas, 16" x 20"

The Real People Exhibition is run every August by the Old Court House Figurative League. It is a national juried show of figurative work. The theme is "Real People - Celebrating the Arts through Faces and Figures." The exhibition serves two purposes. The first is give artists like myself a chance to showcase and sell their paintings, while competing for prizes. Secondly it raises funds for the Figurative League to offer year-round life drawing programs to local artists.

The Real People Exhibition is being held in the Old Court House Art Center, in Woodstock, IL. There is going to be an opening reception on Saturday, August 25th from 6-8PM.

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

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.

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.

Alone

Tessa Guze, Alone, Oil on Canvas

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.

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!