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Jessica Libor

~ Studio Journal

Jessica Libor

Category Archives: How To

Why it’s not selfish to want success as an artist and how to stop feeling guilty

09 Tuesday Feb 2021

Posted by Jessica Libor in How To, Inspiration

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artist, artist success, creativity, how to sell paintings, how to succeed as an artist, painting

Do you ever feel like it is selfish of you to strive for success as an artist?

Believe me, I’ve felt the unspoken judgement of wanting to climb the ladder of artistic success so much that I believed it was wrong of me to want it.  
Especially as a female, it was expected that I wouldn’t be quite as ambitious as the male artists around me.  And if I was, I was selfish for wanting more, or agressive.  Sound familiar?

 Success can mean more money, selling your work for high prices, being affiliated with more high end exhibitions, getting more press, more autonomy with your time,  or any number of markers that you set for your self.  

Whatever your goals for artistic success and stardom, most of us dream of reaching some level of acclaim, which translates rewards that are not just tangible.  In fact, we aren’t actually after the tangible things at all.  Let’s take a look at two of the markers of success and what they give us intangibly.

  1. Money: when we get more money, especially a lot of it, there is less worry about being able to cover the bills. There is also less stress about having to, say, work at a day job you don’t like, feeling like you are draining your life away and counting the hours until you can leave.  So, the intangible benefits of money that we are really after are 1. the feeling of security and safety, and 2. The freedom to do what we want with our time, and hence, our lives.
  1. Press and High End Exhibitions, or Acclaim: when we are written about in the press in glowing terms, or are included in an exhibition with well respected peers, or given a big solo show by a high end gallery, this translates into a feeling of respect.  Respect for us, respect for our work, and it’s the world saying “Your work matters”.  This feels good because we all want our work and lives to matter and to contribute positively to the world.  So the payoff for acclaim is feeling worthy and respected.

It’s not bad to want to reach a level of success as an artist.  All this means is that you are striving for security, freedom, and respect within your life—and to soar as high as you can go.  Also consider how good can be done by successful people with a kind heart.  If you have a lot of monetary success, fame, or acclaim, you have the power to donate money to great causes, and have a platform that people will listen to.  Your art will be seen by many and so can inspire and give hope to many more people than if you were not well known.  And, monetarily, you will not have to be dependent on others to care for you, instead you will be able to provide for yourself, your family, and future generations, which is a massive gift that truly changes lives.

You can also stand up to your fullest height and execute your most ambitious, creative visions because you have wealth and support, that would never happen if you were struggling.  

So, when you find yourself feeling guilty for wanting to be successful as an artist, or feeling selfish for wanting the money and acclaim that come with success in the art world, check yourself! Because I would flip that script and say it is actually the most selfless thing you can do to pursue success in the arts, whatever that means to you.

Let me know how this landed with you, I’d love to hear from you.  And just so you know, I will be launching my newly filmed and fully automated signature course, Artist Soul Mastery Academy, in March.  You  can join the waitlist now.

With light, love and creativity,

Magical ways to usher your art career into a new dimension this year

19 Tuesday Jan 2021

Posted by Jessica Libor in How To, Inspiration, lifestyle

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2021 new year, archiving artwork, artist, artwork archive, artwork organization, contemporary realism, Happy New Year, jessica libor, magical, new year new you, new years resolutions

There’s something so special about the start of a new year.  Mistakes erased, we get to start anew with fresh hope and a renewed vision for who we would like to be.  But here’s the thing… this year will only be different for you if you step into the version of you that you’ve been holding back before!

Can you picture who that person is? Can you see the energy and excitement around this new version of you, stepping into belief that their artistic vision is possible?  How does it feel when you imagine your most ideal situation?

Much of my coaching work for artists is centered around two teachings: 

The first is that you and your artwork are already worthy.
The second is that others take their cues from you as to where you belong in the art world.  You are in charge of how much you sell your work for, how you present it, and what you create!

In this spirit of these two teachings, I recently released a podcast this weekend about the magical, powerful step of organizing your art career.  When you do this, you tell the world, I am ready. I am serious. I am worthy. I am beginning as I would like to go on. 

The different sectors I talk about are organizing your physical work, organizing your inventory system, your collector records, and your revenue and expenses!  I challenge you to think of these not as administrative tasks, but as ways to show your beautiful, cherished, precious artwork HONOR.  This sends a magical chain reaction from you to anyone you come into contact with that you believe your artwork is worth keeping track of, worth honoring, and worth taking seriously.  If you want your work to end up in a museum…a beautiful way to have your work honored and cherished…let’s start by honoring your work and showing its value within your studio!

To listen to the Inspired Painter Podcast, episode Episode 32: Organizing Your Art Career, click here!

After you listen, join us to discuss in our private artist’s Facebook group!

With light, love and creativity,

ps–If you’d like to start the year off with a beautifully focused course on finding your unique artistic voice,click here!

Podcast launch: The Inspired Painter with Jessica Libor

18 Saturday Jan 2020

Posted by Jessica Libor in art, How To, In My Studio, Inspiration, Interviews, Journeys, Uncategorized

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Tags

art, artist, artist podcasts, contemporary art, contemporary realism, creativity, inspiration, inspiring podcasts, podcast, podcasts for painters

I’m very excited to announce the launch of a podcast, “The Inspired Painter with Jessica Libor”.

If you’re an artist who wants to create an amazing and fulfilling career and life, this podcast is for you! I’ll be sharing inspiration that has worked for me and art-world insights and tips. My goal for this podcast is to help you feel in control of your art career and empowered to be the best artist you can be.

The podcast will be available on Podbean, Apple and Spotify.  I hope it brings you value!

With love, light and creativity,

 

jessica signature

 

Visioncasting: How to plan your best year yet as an artist

13 Monday Jan 2020

Posted by Jessica Libor in art, Exhibitions, fashion, How To, In My Studio, Inspiration, Journeys, lifestyle, Uncategorized

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artist advice, artist planning, artist vision, cal newport, contemporary realism, create your best 2020, deep work, goal setting, goal setting creatives, how to be an artist, how to plan your work as an artist, james clear, plan 2020 artist, planning

jess in gallery nature's daughters with kerasan logo

Hello my beautiful fellow creatives! I am so excited for this year. Are you excited? Isn’t it amazing that the future is in your hands, ready to be written?

I recently saw a post that said, “Your future lays before you like fresh fallen snow, take care the steps you take, for every step will show.” It’s SO true—every little thing we do in our life eventually compounds, and eventually the invisible will show itself, even if it is not obvious at first. The invisible work is so important, especially for us artists!

I am so grateful for everything that I was able to accomplish this year. I had a solo show which was very successful, in a beautiful gallery I was super proud of! I launched my first online course, began teaching as a college art professor, was featured in Beautiful Bizarre and other art publications, had my highest revenue year from my art so far, and fulfilled a lifelong dream of hiking in the redwoods! I made a painting about it too, as you can see below 🙂

 

“Solace,” oil and metal leaf on panel, by Jessica Libor (me!)

Libor, Solace

Although these things only take one sentence to write, they actually took months, and really years of action, to come to fruition.

For instance, my solo art exhibition took hundreds of hours to prepare. In the very un-glamorous privacy of my studio, I spent many late nights working away at details.

Nature's Daughters wall Jessica Libor

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IMG_5959

Each decision to work on my painting instead of go out with friends or watch Netflix, compounded the results of my exhibition. This is just one example of how I got the results I did this year.

The online course took months of writing, filming and preparation before it launched. Likewise, I would not have been able to get a job as a college art professor had I not gone through years of schooling and getting my Master of Fine Arts at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.

Although the hard work can seem grueling while you’re in it, eventually you WILL see the results of your efforts (or non-efforts!).  And I don’t want you to think that I am bragging when I tell you this: it’s always an uphill battle for me to continually challenge myself and work on my long-term goals.

 

One book that really changed that this year was the book Deep Work by James Clear. This was actually a suggestion of Alessandra Maria, an artist I really respect who I actually interviewed on the blog earlier in the year. In Deep Work, the author talks about how distracted we are as a society, and generally as humans. He talks about the value of committing deeply to a task for a set amount of time, and entering the state of flow. When we get into deep work, that is when the really inspired artwork comes to fruition.

Below, one of my pieces from this year, “Fields of Gold,” oil and gold leaf on panel.

Fields of Gold, oil and silver leaf on panel, 11x14, by Jessica Libor 2019

This year I initiated methods of working that were blocks of time dedicated only to my artmaking. I wasn’t allowed to look at my phone or computer, get a cup of tea, or call or text anyone.

Processed with VSCO with al1 preset

I simply blocked off two hour sections of time and created intensely. And you know what? It was HARD. I struggled with it! Just like when you’re running an extra mile and your body protests because it isn’t used to it, my brain wasn’t used to such dedication (I know, it’s kind of embarrassing!)

I had the urge to go for a walk, check my email, text a friend, or otherwise distract myself from the pain of focus. Just like doing a math problem, my brain has to work extra hard when creating a realistic piece of art—getting the right values, colors and proportions. I could feel my brain stretching as I focused for these chunks of time.

Below, a brain-stretching artwork I finished, “The Butterflies,” oil and 23 karat gold leaf on panel.

(sm) The Butterflies, oil, gold leaf and paper on panel, 16x20, by Jessica Libor 2019

Even though it was hard, the results I got this year were far and away beyond what I had gotten in previous years. I created some of my favorite pieces. I remember one particular day, I blocked off a few hours to create. I got into such a state of flow that I did not realize that 6 hours had passed. I did not stop until the piece was complete. I was shocked that I was able to finish a large, technically detailed piece in just 6 hours. It’s probably my favorite piece this year! And it’s a physical piece of evidence of what you can do when you compress time and get into that focused state of flow. You are able to accomplish far more than you could imagine!

Below, “Darling,” the piece I finished in 6 hours of super intense focus!

Jessica_Libor_Darling_pastel on paper_30 x 35_ 2018

So as we step into the new year, ask yourself what you want to experience in your art career in the next 360 days, and even in the next decade, which is 3,600 days! Here are a few ideas with how to break that down. I have three steps for you that I believe will be helpful in casting your vision as you move into a new era of your artistic career.

  1. IDENTIFY WHAT YOUR DREAM CAREER LOOKS LIKE: The first step is to identify your wildest dreams: this is the WHAT. If anything WERE possible within your art career, what would that look like for you? Let go mentally of any circumstances holding you back as you imagine this. You may have a limiting thought that you are too old or too young for success, you don’t have enough time, you don’t live in the right place, you don’t have the funds to make the art…it could be anything negative that you have holding you back. Just temporarily suspend that limiting circumstance and imagine that it was not holding you back, but in fact, was an asset! Imagine how your art career would look like in its most ideal form. Where do you show your work? What artists do you show with? What kind of work do you make? How do you feel about the work that you make? How often do you work on your art? What kind of awards have you won? Are you teaching, or traveling anywhere? Where are you doing residencies? What kind of people support your art? How do you make money? (Although a topic for another post, selling your artwork is not the only way to make money as an artist: there is also teaching art, gaining a fan base on Patreon, selling lisences of your art, winning grants, doing commissions, doing public artworks, doing live events, and much more!) Write down the answers to the prompts, in vivid detail.
  2. IDENTIFY WHO YOU WANT TO BE: The next step is to identify WHO you are when you are the artist you described above. If all of your wildest dreams come true in your art career, who are you as that version of yourself? Does she get up at 6am and paint until noon? Or is she in the studio every day 9 to 5, like a regular job? Does she visit museums regularly, or go to exhibitions where she might meet people who could help her in her career? How does she think about the contribution that she is making through her art? Write it all down.
  3. IDENTIFY YOUR TOP THREE: The third step is to look at your dreams that you just wrote down and take within it your top 3 artistic goals that you would like to accomplish this year. EVEN if you think the goals would be IMPOSSIBLE to achieve within one year, I still want you to write them down. Why? Because when you identify a long term goal, even if it feels very lofty, you will strive to align yourself with that goal. You see, your brain is like a missile—when you put a destination in front of it, your amazing brain will look for ways to reach the goal. It works like magic! Eventually, even if it doesn’t happen within the first year, you will be aligned with your goal. Each day you’ll get a little closer if you keep it at the forefront of your consciousness. So take your top 3 goals, and write them very large somewhere you can see them in your studio. Look at them every day and be inspired!
  4. MAKE MINI GOALS: Once you have your top 3 goals, I want you to work on them one at a time. Take each goal and break it down into twelve mini-goals, one for each month. For instance, if one goal is to have a body of work you a really proud of within 2020, you can have a goal of making 3 amazing pieces per month that you are really proud of. This could overlap with a goal of applying to 100 shows or opportunities this year, which breaks down to only 12 applications per month, or 3 applications per week.
  5. BLOCK OUT TIME: Once you’ve made mini-goals for each month that support your top 5 goals, take out your calendar and block out the time you need each day to make it happen. Schedule out three months in advance, so you can build momentum. And then, be sure to show up and keep the promise to yourself to work on your goal. Remember it’s your invisible work or showing up that will create the reality of having your dreams come true!

I realize that when you’re trying to achieve new goals, old habits can be hard to overcome. That is because the brain is wired to seek pleasure, avoid pain, and be as efficient as possible. This is great when we are in the wilderness, avoiding wild animals and the cold (pain), looking for fruits and berries and somewhere soft and safe to lie down (seeking pleasure), and looking for the shortest way to get there (being as efficient as possible).

These hardwired instincts are actually really good because they have kept us alive as the human race for centuries. However, in the modern world, we have to be aware of our instincts and how they can hold us back. You see, in the modern world, and more particularly as a modern artist, avoiding pain could look like procrastinating on a project because of the effort it takes.

Seeking pleasure could look like watching Netflix to escape your reality or snacking on things that aren’t optimal for our health because of the short term pleasure.

And, seeking the most efficient way possible could look like trying to get success before you’ve put in the work and made artwork you’re actually proud of. You see, we are no longer running from bears and foraging for berries to survive (well, most of us, anyway!) but those instincts are still there.

And if we plan from our pre-frontal cortex, which is the smart part of our brain that allows us to plan, rationalize, and create, then we can overcome these basic instincts while still appreciating them and thanking them for keeping us alive! We can transcend our most basic state by identifying our goals and dreams and working to achieve them.

And what is art all about if not a transcendence beyond ourselves?

Another thing I like to think about as an artist is your duty. If you have decided to be an artist, then you have a duty to express your vision to the world. The world needs to see your creations and will be a better place because of it. It is your sacred duty to fulfill that job that only you can do.

One last thought is to create a vision board that includes images of your top 3 artistic goals for the year. That may include an image of the gallery you hope to show at, the kind of artwork you’d like to make, places you’d like to visit, and images and words that reflect who you’d like to be as you accomplish your top 5 goals. This can be helpful to keep motivation going as you do the hard work of the day to day grind of working on your goals! Especially as visual artists, we can be stimulated by visuals, and this can help us get in the mood to focus and remember why we are doing it in the first place.

Ok, I hope that this has been super helpful to you as you turn over the next decade and choose how you’d like to spend your next year! It’s my heart for you that you achieve your wildest dreams as an artist, and live a happy and fulfilled life along the way. I know that this is going to be your best year yet!

Lastly, I have a gift for you that I think will be extremely useful to you as you plan out your year. I’ve created a free Artistic Visioncasting worksheet, and mini-course, with everything you need to plan out your goals and dreams. There’s questions to prompt you, so you can break down your goals in an organized way. I created it specifically for this blog post so that you can get the most out of it! Just click the link below to download it.

ARTISTIC VISIONCASTING: CLICK HERE TO GET THE WORKSHEET AND MINI COURSE

Now go forth and create!

With light, love, and creativity,

jessica signature

Jessica Libor

Visual Artist

www.jessicalibor.com

 

5 Keys to Presenting Your Art

21 Sunday Jul 2019

Posted by Jessica Libor in How To, Interviews, Uncategorized

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art, art marketing, artist branding, artist marketing, branding, collaboration, creative branding, creativity, elevate, elevate growth consulting group, entrepreneurship, growth hacks, marketing

Hello readers, it’s Jessica here.  Through serendipity, I recently came in contact with Elevate Growth Consulting Group.  Elevate is a branding and marketing company that helps businesses grow.  I thought it would be helpful for artists to hear from a professional marketing company how exactly to present their art as a brand and business.  Therefore, we decided to write a guest post for each other’s blogs–you can check out my post for Elevate by clicking here.  Keep reading below to hear Elevate’s co-founder Siera Smith’s keys for presenting your art:

“Art is a vital part of marketing. Creative work drives visual communication of the messages businesses want to portray. They bring a marketing campaign to life, across websites, flyers, social media ads, emails, and more.

Just like art is a vital part of marketing, marketing should also be a vital part to how you display your art.

You’re awesome at what you do. Let your creativity shine. Let us show you 5 keys to presenting your art.

1. Create a Personal Brand

People don’t just buy products and use the services, they buy into a company — its vision, mission, purpose. Make your brand personal to you, because, well, your company is you. Don’t make it like other companies or artists; find something unique about your brand and exploit it. Let people fall in love with you and what you stand for.

2. Tell a Story Behind Your Work

People relate to stories. Storytelling often comes easy to artists, but it takes more than just a picture or paint on a canvas. Dig deep and bring emotion. Art is supposed to evoke reactions and in creating a story, that becomes possible. Stories make your art more than just a product, they make it into a feeling, a memory, a relationship. Your work should evoke emotions that move people. If you can evoke a feeling in people while they are looking at your work, they are going to remember it.

3. Network Your Brand

Networking is everything. It is a great way to build your brand and get your name out there. Networking with other businesses, dealers, and buyers is an effective way to get your artwork known by high-influence people. Go to other galleries and street art shows; go anywhere where you can network your brand and have people learn and remember your name. The more people who know your brand, the better chances you afford yourself.

4. Have an Online Gallery

Having an online gallery affords you the potential to expand your market footprint. People all over the country — or even the world — can look at your art and make a purchase with a few clicks. In addition, online galleries are like a sneak peek preview into your artwork. They entice people to come to your gallery. Shopify is the unofficial market-leading platform to set up a gallery and sell online. You can manage design, inventory, pricing, payments, emails, shipping, and more all from one platform.

5. Have an Instagram

Creating an Instagram for your artwork can open a world of possibilities. Instagram is known for lending itself to visuals, which naturally lends itself to showcasing art. Creating an Instagram can drive traffic to your online and offline gallery through links and location statuses. It is a great way to promote your work to an expansive audience in a time and budget efficient way.

You have amazing work, made from your mind and crafted with your hands. Use these tips to get your work in front of more people’s eyes.”

siera headshot 19

Siera Smith is Co-Founder and Partner at Elevate Growth Consulting Group, of Bridgeport, PA, where she creates growth roadmaps and connects people to the capital needed to get there.

Mermaid’s Lair Beach Painting

01 Saturday Sep 2018

Posted by Jessica Libor in art, How To, In My Studio, Inspiration, Journeys, lifestyle, Uncategorized

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beach, beach art, ocean, ocean city nj, oil painting, original art, painting, palette knife painting, time lapse

mermaid's lair on beach close up

Mermaid's Lair holding

Mermaid’s Lair by Jessica Libor 2018

What we focus on is what we see.  “Mermaid’s Lair,” oil on panel, painted today watching the sky reflected in the waves and the surf against the rocks.  Can’t you just imagine a mermaid on these shores?  Oil on panel, 8″ x 8″, by Jessica Libor.  Email me at jlibor@jessicalibor.com for purchase inquiries.

 

My quest for the BEST organic, natural lipstick: RMS Wild With Desire verses Ilia

07 Thursday Jun 2018

Posted by Jessica Libor in beauty, How To, lifestyle, Uncategorized

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healthy makeup, ilia beauty, ilia lipstick, makeup review, natural beauty, organic beauty, organic makeup, rms beauty, rms makeup review, rms wild with desire lipstick, summer lipstick

I’m a big fan of organic food, organic farming, organic painting, and organic beauty.  Since I have a beauty background I thought I would do a little review on some all-natural lipsticks I’ve been wanting to try.  If you do ONE organic, natural purchase in makeup, it’s wise to make it your lipstick, because most women will ingest it during the day with normal wear.  I knew RMS is completely all natural, so I headed to Blue Mercury to try out the RMS Wild With Desire line of lipsticks.

Below is me sans-lipstick!

While I was there, I decided to try the Ilia line as well, also an all-natural, organic line.  The lady there was very helpful and I ended up trying three colors–two from RMS and one from Ilia.  The first one I tried was called “Pretty Vacant” by RMS.  You can see it below.

I liked how pigmented this pink was and how it was a soft, perfect rose without being to bright or too muted.  It went on almost like a matte lipstick and felt like it would stay on for a long time.

The second lipstick I tried was also by RMS, called “Jezebel.”  It was a darker cherry red, with the same matte feel and finish as the first.  I felt like it might be good for the fall. You can see it below.

The third lipstick I tried was from Ilia, called “Blossom Lady.”  I liked this one very much.  It was more subtle than the RMS shades, and more shiny.  I liked the way it looked very glowy, but felt it might wear off more quickly. You can see it on me below.

In the end, I went with my first pick “Pretty Vacant” from the RMS Wild with Desire line.  I felt confident it would wear well, and I loved the color!  If I were going to get a second, thought, I would go back for Ilia’s “Blossom Lady” for a more lowkey look.

I’ve found my summer shade!  If you’d like to try them out I’m listing the three lipsticks below with links.  Enjoy! xo, Jessica

RMS Wild with Desire Lipstick “Pretty Vacant”

RMS Wild with Desire Lipstick “Jezebel”

Ilia Lipstick “Blossom Lady”

Beginning my “Let’s Connect Philly” painting for the Barnes Foundation

23 Monday Apr 2018

Posted by Jessica Libor in Exhibitions, How To, In My Studio

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advice for artists, art, art expert, artist, beautiful, beautiful art, beautiful paintings of women, classical realism, contemporary art, contemporary female artists, contemporary realism, creative, creativity, drawing, emerging artist, emerging artists, female artist, how to be an artist, how to paint like the masters, inspiration, inspiration for artists, jessica libor, Let’s Connect Philly, mural arts, pafa, painter, painting, pennsylvania academy of the fine arts, residency, the Barnes foundation

This month I am lucky enough to be living in a Philadelphia zip code, so am eligible to participate in the Barnes Foundation and Mural Arts competition and exhibition at the Barnes Foundation, called “Let’s Connect Philly.” It’s a really cool idea– artists are to pick one piece that inspires them (I picked Renoir) and do a small piece inspired by it! During the exhibition (in May–June) the public can go and vote on their favorite pieces, with the winning artists getting a residency and stipend at the Barnes! Needless to say I’m very excited to enter! Above is a time lapse for the first 7 hours of painting I’ve done on my piece. It’s not done yet, but when it is, I’ll post a side by side of the piece by Renoir that inspired me and my own.

Jessica Libor

Www.jessicalibor.com

New Painting: The Beginning of the Future

14 Wednesday Feb 2018

Posted by Jessica Libor in art, How To, In My Studio, Inspiration, Uncategorized

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art how to, first flight of man, france, gilding, gold leaf, hot air balloon, how to paint oils, jessica libor art, jessica libor artist, limited edition prints, montgolfier brothers, oil and gold leaf, oil painting, painting, paris, steampunk art, valentine's day, vintagemaedchen

She stands at a threshold, and holds back the curtain of time, to reveal the first untethered flight of mankind, a hot air balloon created in Paris, France by the Montgolfier brothers. Further in the distance and past the shadowy gardens, one glimpses the Empire State Building, another symbol of progress as we learn from our predecessors. Where will we go next?

This is an oil on linen-mounted panel painting that is 11″ x 14″, with accents of genuine gold leaf in the trim of the dress and earring. The model is the lovely @vintagemaedchen_by_victoria  and the vision is inspired by progress and discovery.  I also thought about the strange portraits of queens, strange in that the stylized lighting often made little sense but produced an unearthly glow and theatre-like look.

Screen Shot 2018-02-14 at 3.31.33 PM

Check out the images below to see the progress of the painting.

beginning of the future process1

beginning of the future process2

The Beginning of the Future, oil on linen, 11"x14", Jessica Libor 2018

This painting is available as an original, or as a limited edition print.   For the next few hours (until Valentine’s Day at midnight), this limited edition, hand signed and numbered print on 11″x17″ archival paper is offered at $35. On midnight on Feburary 14, the price will go back to $75, the regular cost. Click the link below to snag yours!

https://squareup.com/store/jessica-libor-studio

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Jessica Libor

www.jessicalibor.com

Copying the Masters: Part 1

07 Wednesday Feb 2018

Posted by Jessica Libor in art, How To, In My Studio, Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

art, artist, contemporary realism, copying masterworks, creative process, female artist, figurative artist, fragonard, how to paint like the masters, how to paint realistically

Today I began copying a Fragonard painting.  Copying is a centuries old tradition in that it helps an artist understand composition, color, and form, especially if an artist is trying to learn certain techniques from that master.  I chose this piece to copy because I am interested in the coloring, brushwork and composition that Fragonard uses.

First, I washed the linen with a mix of ultramarine blue and green, using Winsor & Newton Winton Oil Colors, very thinly, diluted with odorless turpenoid.

Next, I began sketching out the forms using burnt umber and a small brush, also diluted with mineral spirits.

From there, I began painting from the back to the front of the painting (from the background to the foreground).

First the darks, then the lights, getting progressively more detailed.

Part 2 to come!

Jessica Libor

www.jessicalibor.com

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