Category Archives: How To

5 Keys to Presenting Your Art

21 Sunday Jul 2019

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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.”

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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

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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

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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

The process is the goal

29 Sunday Oct 2017

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In my studio, photo by Jessica Libor

Recently I heard a gem of knowledge that really struck me: “The process is the goal.”

This concept can apply to any aspect of your life.  In health, fitness, career, family, relationships, friendships, social life, spiritual life, or anything else you aspire to in your life.  Think about those people you know or know of who have one or more of these aspects on point in a spectacular way.  Perhaps they have the career you’ve always dreamed of–making amazing art, and getting recognition for it.  Perhaps they travel around the world and have a life of adventure that you’d love to experience.  Maybe their fitness levels seem to be unstoppable.

Whatever it is that you admire about this person, what “The process is the goal” reminds us of is that no one is perfect.  It is impossible to be in a state of perfection in anything, because as wonderful, flawed, quirky humans living in an imperfect world, perfection is not possible.  However, showing up everyday, working at it, and sharing your gift with the world, is very possible.

The athlete with the body in wonderful condition only got there by regular, hard work, grinding out each workout even when they didn’t feel like it.  Yes, sometimes a workout will feel exhilarating and fun, but other times it will be the last thing this athlete wants to do.  However, the act of going through the actions of the workout is what will change their body.  This doesn’t happen overnight, either: it’s a constant process of small choices that add up: choosing fruit instead of ice cream, choosing to get up and go to the gym at 7:30 instead of sleeping in until 8:30.  These small choices are indeed small–and one slipup really wouldn’t matter.  However, these everyday choices add up to create a very different body to live in than if that athlete had chosen a different path.  And even when the world sees the result, the athlete knows that it is not a state of perfection she is working for, it is health and performance on a spectrum, and any success she meets has to be maintained by continual training and effort.  As soon as a goal is reached, a plateau is also reached.  While it’s fine to catch your breath, the athlete knows that she must maintain her health in order to keep her current level, and push even harder than before should she wish to go further.  In this way, the process is the goal.

The same is true in an artist’s life.  We live in an instant-gratification world today.  Companies cater to our desires to have everything we want, and now.  It is a consumer mindset to think that we can buy success, health, skills, meaning, or love.  These things must be cultivated, understood and approached with a process-oriented mindset.  The goal can be switched from “having a sold out international art show” to “create one new piece per week in the studio that I am proud of”.  Can you see how one goal is externally focused on what one can get, and the other is more internally focused on what you can do and give?  This kind of process oriented thinking also puts the power back in your hands.  You are no longer seeking the approval of a gallery (outside source) but instead have the power to create a quality gift to the world.  Which, as anyone instinctively knows, is the key to success: adding value to the world.  If you create one piece of quality work per week, then, you will eventually be in a position to choose who to work with and what opportunities to take, because you are secure in your contribution.  You will have something you know is truly valuable.  There is no short cut here–to be a sought after artist with quality, enthusiastic buyers, you must become the kind of artist who puts in the work to create something of value–and people will notice.  It is not a pinnacle achievement, where one day you wake up and think “I have made it!”  Although great moments will come when you realize that your dreams are becoming a reality, that will be because of the process that you’ve followed to get there.

So I would challenge you to think of and list out the ideals you’d like to realize in your life.  Whether it is artistically related, or any other area of your life, think of where you’d like to be, and then the process that needs to happen in order for that to happen.  Then, instead of focusing on the goal so much (which can be disheartening, if it seems far away)  then focus on the process.  What would someone who is successful in that area of their life be, do, and act like?  Seek help, workshops, or other forms of training if need be, to help you realize the best process. Then, dedicate yourself to the process–not the goal.  You’ll find that the external goal will sneak up on you when you least expect it, when you’re deeply involved with the process–after it’s become a habit.

This assures as well that your goal doesn’t blind you from other opportunities.  Focusing on the process helps you to be more open to opportunities that may be even better for you than your original goal, that are along the same career path.  As Clive Gillison writes in the book Better to Speak of It, by Robert Rimm and Clive Gillison: “It’s a natural thing to be scared of uncertainty, yet liberating to know that it’s perfectly alright to feel that way.  When I was younger I wanted the same thing—certainty–and it took me a long time to realize that uncertainty can be a strength rather than weakness, because uncertainty also brings with it endless possibilities.”

It’s all about the process.  As Henry David Thoreau said,

If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.

Thanks so much for reading!  What kind of processes would you like to implement in your life and career?  Leave a comment below to share!   Until next time, stay creative,

Jessica Libor

www.jessicalibor.com

ps–If you’d like a step be step guide to help you discover your own voice as an artist, I’ve put together a completely free course for you!  Click here to learn more.

 

 

 

How to create a body of work in 3 months

25 Monday Sep 2017

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After creating 14 pieces in 3 months, I was accepted into the MFA program I wanted to get into. Photo credit: Jessica Libor

As an artist, your primary job is creating work: work that you feel proud of, that would be thought provoking or inspiring to others in some way. You are a thought leader, someone who creates cultural ripples, no matter how small. But as an artist, you also can get caught up in the hundred other activities involved with being an artist: the organizing of work, the going to shows, taking classes, reading books, and perfecting your masterpieces slowly. Or, perhaps you have fallen into making pieces for the sake of making pieces to sell: work that you know is not your highest quality that you can make.

If you are not an artist, but are in a creative profession as well such as writing, publishing, graphic design or the like, please forgive me as I write from the perspective of being a painter. However, you can use these same ideas to create a body of your own work in your own field.

I would like to propose a two step process for creating a body of work that you are proud of in 3 months or less.

The first step is deciding on a goal. For most artists, a solid body of work is 10 to 20 pieces. Decide how many pieces that you would like to make within your time frame. When I did this, I decided on 14 pieces within 3 months. This was because 14 pieces were needed for the program that I was trying to submit to by the deadline (I did it, by the way, and got into the program!  If I can do it, so can you.)

What will your goal entail? Your goal should include a) the number of pieces you want to make by a certain date and b) the external reason. For example, your reason could be, wanting to go to New York or California and take a week to show your new body of work to galleries. For a reason like that, make it real by booking the flights three months in advance, and reserving your hotel. Now, you are invested. If you don’t make your work by that date, then you will be embarrassed to show galleries an empty portfolio, and you will have wasted your money on the trip—or just have a nice vacation! Another sample goal is getting into a residency, or an MFA program. This is also a strong incentive, because you know that if you don’t make the deadline, you’ll have to wait an entire year to submit again. Another goal could be, setting up a show with a gallery you are involved in, so that you have to make the work in time for opening night. If you don’t yet have gallery representation, then perhaps going in on a space with another artist or two, and making the deposit on the space three months in advance, so that you are locked into the exhibition. Better yet, start telling family and friends, and create an invitation page online so that people can RSVP. This creates momentum in your mind—and a good kind of pressure!

Perhaps this sounds stressful to you. I’m not going to lie—it can be stressful! Stretching yourself to a higher potential than you are currently at always involves a little stress. But I have found that by imposing an external goal, it lifts your abilities, and you are able to make work faster and better than you have ever before. Your mind goes into problem solving mode. You start making more work, faster, and yet with more precision and skill, because you know that you will be showing the work publicly. It is a different energy than creating one piece a month when you have time. It is goal driven: you must get X amount of pieces done by a certain date, or you will lose money, time, or good face.

The next step is to divide your time and energy. Let’s say you decide on 15 pieces in 3 months. That means you need to create 5 pieces per month. Weekly, that’s about 1.5 pieces per week. Woah! All of a sudden the deadline becomes less fuzzy—a large amount of pieces due at some point in the future. It becomes at least one piece per week in order to reach your goal. It becomes more urgent.

As you go through this process, you’ll notice that you begin to take yourself more seriously—and therefore others will take you more seriously, as well. So many times as creatives and artists we can get a bad rap for not being professional, or being haphazard in how we make our work, meet deadlines, and do business. When you have a tangible plan with an external goal, it forces you to be professional with your time, and manage it like you run a business—which you do! You’ll find that because you have a more structured timeline, ideas will flow more easily, and you will grow more skilled, because you’ll be painting more. And when the time comes to submit your work, take that trip to the big apple, or host an exhibition for family and friends, there isn’t a better feeling than knowing that you accomplished much more than you ever thought possible.  As Clive Gillison and Robert Rimm write in Better to Speak of It: Fostering Relationships and Results through Creativity: “. . . I always ask them what they’re passionate about, and suggest they allow that to be their guide, giving it everything they’ve got whilst keeping a completely open mind.  Then their talent and passion will lead them.”

Thanks so much for reading! Let me know your your thoughts.  What is your external goal? How many pieces would you like to make?   What is YOUR deadline?  Stay creative!  Until next time,

 

Jessica Libor

www.jessicalibor.com

Creativity Verses Competition

01 Monday May 2017

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Screen Shot 2017-05-01 at 1.12.53 PM

When you go to work, make your art or go about your business, there are so many reasons to do a good job. Keeping your word, having a good reputation and being consistent are a few reasons. But even deeper than that, I think there are two main places people come from when they create a project: creativity, or competition.

Creativity is a pure motive. Creativity is unexpected, moving, breathing and fresh. It is unique only to you. When you’re in a place of creativity, ideas flow and you aren’t worried about what people think, or even if what you are making measures up to your standards. You let yourself feel, think and create what comes from your mind. You express your thoughts about the world, your emotions, and your aesthetic preferences without fear or striving. There is a lot of joy in being in this state. Sometimes there is a feeling of “this is too easy” or “I can’t believe that was in my brain”. There is more pleasure in making the art, because you’re in a state of making something come into being that is from a pure state, that came straight from your mind. There is a feeling of calm confidence in this state because you know that no one can reproduce exactly what you have. Your uniqueness is your strength.

Competition has a different feel to it. When you’re creating from competition, it can feel paralyzing. There is a feeling of “How can I create something that will measure up, stand out, or otherwise prove my worth?” There is a feeling of pressure, being overwhelmed, and even anger, or “I’ll show them.” When you’re in this state, you can alternate between periods of intense work, and being burnt out and overwhelmed. That’s because you’re not actually enjoying the process! You’re coming from a place of grinding out work in order to prove worth to the world. However, the world will never give you the approval you seek unless you give it to yourself first. You must believe that the work you create is enough, no matter what anyone thinks, because if you believe your art is worthwhile, then eventually other people will too.

I have created from both states, and speaking from personal experience, the art made from pure creativity is more interesting, flows better, and is a lot more fun to paint than art that is made from a place of trying to impress or show people how good I am. It is the unique visions that we need more of in this world, made with a giving spirit, rather than the work made to build up the artist. And I believe when you create from the creativity state, the goals you desire for your art will fall into place naturally because of the creativity and value you are pouring out into the world.

Below are a few ideas for sparking a more creative state:

  1. Put on your favorite music and sketch for 30 minutes. Not detailing each sketch, just getting as many ideas as you can to suggest themselves.
  2. Take a walk in nature
  3. Take a media fast from TV and consuming social media. The things we put in our mind influence our thoughts, so if you want a more pure state of unique creativity, eliminate excess entertainment
  4. Think about the ratio of producing and consuming. Strive to produce more than you consume. For instance, instead of trolling social media, maybe create an interesting post for your followers and leave it at that. Or instead of watching TV, research some ideas for your next artwork. Producing things, even in a small way (keeping a diary, going for a walk, sketching, giving a friend a call) keeps your mind more active, and stimulates creativity. It also gives you better sleep, because the mind has been more active.
  5. Travel somewhere new. It doesn’t need to be somewhere far—take a new route home from work, visit a park near you, go for a hike by a nearby river. Unfamiliar situations can jog the creative mind as well.
  6. Create a goal for yourself and stick to it. Let it be simple at first, like creating something everyday, even if it’s a small sketch. This is different than competition, because you are just giving your creativity a framework to work with. Don’t go to bed without having ticked off this simple goal for each day.
  7. Take ideas from your dreams. Keep a dream sketch journal and write or sketch your thoughts from the dreams you remember.
  8. Keep it fun! If it stops being fun, it means you’re out of the flow state of creativity. Let yourself get back to making art for the pleasure of creating, and the best, most unique art will come out of that.

I hope these ideas help you in your creative journey, fellow artists and artisans! Go forth and create with joy. As Lera Auerbach writes in Excess of Being, “Angels of daring, I call upon you!”

Speaking of creativity, I have started a new channel for my artwork, a Patreon page. Patreon is a way that patrons and supporters of my art can get monthly, exclusive rewards like prints and original art for being my patron. To check it out, please visit www.patreon.com/jessicalibor. Thank you readers for your support and enthusiasm for my work. I hope this writing was in service to you! I will leave you with my latest artwork, “Magic Garden,” an ink on watercolor paper drawing that was definitely done in a creative state.

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“Magic Garden,” ink on watercolor paper, 9×12″, Jessica Libor 2017

 

Until next time,

Jessica

Time boxing

30 Friday Dec 2016

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jess-and-lauren-little-with-sunflowers

That’s me with the sunflower on my head with my sister one summer

Once upon a time, in childhood and high school, my days stretched out like weeks and my weeks stretched out like months, and a summer vacation was like a year.  I had endless hours to play with my art and be creative, and time moved slowly in a good way as I discovered the world and my own creativity.  I had little responsibility and that left my mind free as a bird to think, dream, and create.

As an adult, things can get more complicated as you add a day job, taking care of your home, exercising, eating right, making time for friends, family and relationships, paying the bills, not to mention creating art and making time to explore and doodle creatively, which to me is what makes interesting art eventually.  All of this together can be a lot–and at the end of the day, it can be intimidating to sit down and figure out your next great masterpiece.  It’s a lot of pressure!  Not only that, but art takes time, and if you’re already busy sustaining your life, sometimes it can feel like you don’t have the time to make the quality of art you are capable of.

Something that has helped me in particularly busy seasons is the concept of time boxing. Time boxing is the very simple but powerful idea of picking one task, and doing that task with complete focus and attention, for a certain amount of time.  During this set amount of time, you are not allowed to answer the phone, look at your schedule book, do the dishes, text someone, surf the web, look at Facebook, Instagram, fix yourself a sandwich, clean up the room, or do any other interruption.  Your mind is only allowed to focus on that one task.  Here are some examples:

  1. For twenty minutes, sketch out of your imagination in your sketchbook.
  2. For one hour, work on a painting.
  3. For ten minutes, write your artistic career goals and ways to accomplish them
  4. For 30 minutes, take pictures of your recent artwork and upload them to your website.
  5. For 20 minutes, read an inspirational book about an artist or person you admire.
  6. For 20 minutes, take a walk around the block and notice the colors and scenery.

You will be surprised at the amount that you can get done in a short amount of time when you are extremely focused.  The magic in it is that there is a defined time period for the intense focus, which gives your brain a deadline and a goal.  And when it’s done, there’s relief and a sense of accomplishment.  And if you’re an artist at heart, you won’t let a long time pass without having the urge to be creative in some way, even if you’re busy with other things.  As Lera Auerbach says in her book Excess of Being, “True passion does not care for validation.”