My Paris exhibit, ROMANCED BY THE FOREST (AMOUREUX DE LA FORET) art collection available to collect for 4 day flash virtual show starting August 31 to September 3rd
Above, at my Paris exhibition at Serre Wangari before the exhibition reception. Below, “Princess of the Forest”, the female ruler of the forest is surrounded by the woodland creatures and the trees of her domain, wearing a crown of interwoven twigs and her dress gracefully melding into the landscape.
Below, I pose with “Princess of the Forest” at La Serre Wangari, photos by @scander9
It’s the end of summer, and as always, it’s gone by too fast! Luckily, I’ve arrived back in the states with just a few weeks to enjoy the sun and warmth in PA before autumn arrives in earnest! There is always so much to catch up on after a big trip; the piles of mail, grocery shopping, unpacking, emails and projects! But, having settled back into my life in the states, I’m happy to let you know that my Paris exhibition will be available to browse and buy very soon! From August 31 to September 3rd, I’m holding a flash virtual exhibit online where you can browse and collect the remaining pieces from my Paris exhibition, Amoureux de la Foret (Romanced by the Forest). There are a few originals still available from the exhibition and I am also making limited edition prints of some of the works!
I have much more to share with you about my exhibition and trip, but wanted to just let you know what’s coming in a little over a week! I’ll be sharing more detailed captures of the exhibition and my experience in Paris very soon.
Thank you as always for coming along for the journey!
At a glance: a new video up including my first dance film “Forest, Awake!”. my exploration of dance and film at the Muses artist residency, painting at the chateau, and reveling in the beauty of the French countryside.
My journey to France to dance with the Muses– all photos and videos by Jessica Libor
As I write, I am recovering from one of the most lovely and creative times in my life. I am back in the states, but my spirit is still somewhere in France!
This summer trip had two purposes:
1) An artist retreat in Normandy
2) A solo exhibition of my paintings in Paris
I was gone a total of four weeks, and experienced so much that it is hard to put into words. But, I tried to convey the magic of the first week in the photos included and a video I made about the experience! This video only covers the first TWO DAYS of the residency with The Muses Atlas, so you can imagine I will have many more films to share with you!
Click here to watch the video I created, including a special dance piece that I choregraphed and composed the music for. This piece is something I have thought about doing for about 2 years, and finally was able to realize with the right people in the right place. It is about Spring coming to the forest, and the girl’s dance moves are meant to encapsulate the growth of plants in the Spring.
I am so grateful to have experienced this trip, and explored more of my creativity beyond painting. During the residency, I opened my creativity to dance, to musical composing, to writing and to film, in addition to painting and drawing. It challenged me in new ways, and I can’t wait to share more with you!
My artwork created for and while in France will be available to you very soon, just photographing and putting it together to present to you, my lovely collectors!
Thank you as always for coming along for the journey!
My magical Scotland residency: a new art collection and residency pictures!
At a glance:I have released a new collection of available works called Scottish Storybook: click here to browse! I describe my experience in my Scotland residency and share pictures from the experience.
With the works on paper I created at the Scotland residency
Photo by Arielle of the Woods
Photo among the Abbey ruins by Kelley Smith
“Scottish Stream,” pastel on paper, by Jessica Libor 2023
Creating “Blue Sunset”
At the castle
“Scottish Castle” by Jessica Libor 2023
Dear Friends, I just returned from the breathtaking and mysterious Scotland, where I experienced staying in a manor house from the 1700s on the property of a castle that was built around 1000 AD. This would be the site where the Muses Escape held their residency. The castle has a legend that states that Joan of Arc learned her sword fighting skills there, and with its fair share of ghost tales!
It was a crucible of stretching myself beyond my comfort zone. Being in a foreign land is always challenging, but this time I was traveling far from any civilization in Scotland, three hours from the closest city! First flying into Glasgow, I experienced the beautiful history of the city, which was also extremely old.
I loved the Gothic architecture and the dramatic history of the land. The Glasgow Cathedral was also an incredible highlight, with the stained glass being extremely unique!
On the drive to the residency with another artist, it was nothing but sheep, birds, and mountains for miles to see. Occasionally, we would pass a cottage or a castle. It was like walking into Brigadoon and was truly breathtaking! Once at the residency, I met with 24 other talented female artists from all over the world.
Together, we would create and collaborate and gain inspiration from each other during the course of the week.
Every morning, I would wake up and look out the old window and see the timeless Scottish sea just footsteps from the Manor House. Mountains surrounded the area, and wild flowers had started to bloom everywhere. Scotland has a climate similar to Pennsylvania, so it was chilly but with many signs of spring. The trees caught my eye everywhere I looked. Because the location was so close to the ocean, the trees were gnarled and knotted from the sea winds, and also everything was overgrown by a bright green moss. It truly looked like a illustration from an old fairytale book. I would not be surprised to see fairies and magical creatures that you only read of in books peeking out from the forest. You could really feel the magic!
While there, I created fourteen pieces. These are works on paper inspired directly by the landscape and sometimes the dreams that I had while I was there. I’m calling it my Scottish Storybook collection! You can browse what is available in this collection by clicking here. If you have already purchased one of these pieces, I am packaging it up and it should be mailed to you next week!
I realized that I would not have the time to create lots of finished oil paintings in the short time that I was there, so I focused on really absorbing the enchanting atmosphere, learning as much about the culture as I possibly could, and experiencing a magical week with these other talented women. I also got lots of amazing reference photos and I’ll be creating work based around some of the experiences and places I went to while there! I had some time to read while there as well, and delved heavily into the history of fairy tales and folk tales, which will be reflective in my next body of oil paintings moving forward.
In this post, I am attaching some of the photos that hopefully communicate some of the indescribable experiences I had while there.
Thank you as always for your interest in my art career. There is lots more brewing for the Spring, so I’ll talk to you soon!
Happy 2023! Although we are well on our way into 2023 now, I’ve been so busy this month rehabbing my new place (more on this later) that my updates have fallen to the wayside! Since it’s still January, I thought it would be a good idea to start the first missive of the new year off with a recap of the highlights of 2022, and hopes and plans for 2023!
JANUARY 2022: In the beginning of 2022 last year, much of my creative energy went into launching the Luminary Artist Academy, an intensive course for aspiring professional artists where I would come alongside students and coach them into a fully fledged art career over 6 months. This was an incredibly rewarding project, as I love making a difference in other’s lives in a positive way, and have gotten very positive feedback from students about how comprehensive the course is. I wrote and had much of the photographs for the course taken in Miami the month before during Art Basel, a very inspiring time. I still run this course for artists and will be relaunching it again in February 2023. MARCH-MAY 2022: In the early Spring months, I created two major works,Persephoneand Inner Realms. Persephone is centered around the myth of the same name originating from Ancient Greece, of the unwilling Queen of the Underworld whose arrival from the depths of the earth every Spring brings with is life to the land once again. I portrayed her in front of caves dripping with ice, her hair cascading down her shoulders and mimicking the frozen waterfalls behind her. She holds narcissus flowers, the first sign of Spring, and also brings them, as they spring up on the pathway where she walks. Persephone is a very interesting figure as she inhabits both light and dark, straddling the worlds of night and also of day and life. Although the Persephone original piece has been claimed, there are limited edition prints available.
My self portrait Inner Realms was inspired by looking at the portraits of women by Leonardo da Vinci. In particular, Portrait of Ginevra de Benci and of course, Mona Lisa, (particularly the hand gesture) were influences as I created this self portrait. It is oil on mounted linen, with 24 karat gold leaf accents, and contains symbols that resonate with me at the moment. My figure is clothed in white which is timeless throughout the ages, with a crown of flowers as an idea of queen of nature. Lavender is my favorite color, symbolizing spirituality and creativity. The rainbow adds magic and a promise of good things to come, and also is a nod to one of my favorite creative unions of animation and music, Disney’s original 1940 Fantasia set to Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony. The Pegasus in the background, is an animal I have often dreamed of and feel is my spirit animal. The golden arrows represent an open heart. There is also a tangle of nature represented in the background, something as humans I believe we are all an integral part of, not separate.
MAY-JUNE 2022: In May to June, I organized and hosted a exhibition for artist Kathryn Kincaid called Every Petal through my Philadelphia based gallery, Era Contemporary. The exhibition was a smashing success! We also had a musical performance by Dallas Bardot at the event.
JULY 2022: In July, I left for France for the heavenly artist residency at Chateau Orquevaux! I was booked for two weeks at the residency, but spent an extra week in Paris soaking up the culture. For my week in Paris, I spent each day visiting sites that were off the beaten path, capturing paintings of the city from different angles.
Some of my most vivid memories from that week in Paris was staying across the street from the Lourve (in a very, very tiny place, but you know what they say about location!) , wandering the gardens under a full moon rising, painting the Eiffel Tower at dusk while crowds of people watched, visiting the Musee de la Romantique, meeting up with a friend and client from my teaching who lives in Paris, meeting up with an artist model (who modeled for Persephone and The White Deer) , visiting the old Paris opera house, and seeing an amazing classical ballet production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream!
I did several oil and watercolor paintings in Paris! I also had professional photos taken by Paris street photographer Natalie Gardot, which you can see below.
I also made a comprehensive video about all my experiences in Paris, which you can watch here.
The city was breathtakingly beautiful, a true joy to experience and so beautiful that it was a bit of an out of body experience. Below are some photos from my week in Paris before my residency!
JULY 2022: In July, I continued my journey in France to Chateau Orquevaux! It was a long train ride to the northeast of France, and divine coincidence had it that I sat down on the train next to another artist bound for the residency as well! We had a lovely chat and were able to help each other with directions and our luggage.
The residency was truly incredible, and I was able to produce over 30 paintings and drawings there in 2 weeks. Watch my video about my time at the residency by clicking here.
Below is a journal entry from my time at the Chateau: I am sitting right now outside the Château, overlooking sparkling waters of the lily pond, my eye drifting over the undulating emerald hills where trees have taken route as evidence of the lush and life-giving landscape. Feathery queen ann’s lace dots the hillside, and purple bachelors button contrast their beauty and nod in time to the gentle breeze. I am fascinated by the colors of the pond, how it changes in depth and clarity shift into deeper and cooler colors. The white cows are grazing peacefully off in the distance, and swallows swoop and play over the fields. I hear the old church bells ringing to tell the time, as they have been ringing for hundreds of years here in the small town of Oquevaux. In the morning, I hear the roosters crow, and all throughout the day there is the sound of the rushing waterfall far in the distance. The wind grazes gently through the trees, rustling ever so softly and providing a cool feel on the skin. Behind me I hear the clink of dishes from the Château kitchen as the cooks prepare the meal for tonight. And all around me are the subtle sounds of nature… The chirping of birds, the hum of insects, the chatter of the ducks on the pond, and late at night when it storms, the thunder over the hillside.I started my journey from America by spending several days in Paris. Paris has its own kind of exhilaration, a major metropolis steeped in beauty and ancient history, anchored by a rebellious and tumultuous history, and elevated by its peoples love of the arts and incredible accomplishments. I felt the energy of Paris every day that I was there, and energy of pleasure and happiness, creativity and euphoria. But since arriving at the Château, I have experienced a different kind of euphoria: a euphoria of peace.It is a dream come true for many artists, to let all other responsibilities fall away and to spend time creating purely from your hearts impulse, for a time while being completely supported by your environment and community. I have never experienced this kind of thing so completely before in my life. While I made me a comparison to graduate school, this residency was a different animal. The difference is in the freedom, the care, and the reverence by which the artist here are treated. The thing that I have noticed and felt very tangibly every day here is how artists are desired and revered here for their creativity and their gifts to the world. Each one of us artists who are here during this two week residency have been treated with the highest honor, and encouragement, which has resulted in a freedom of expression that is completely uninhibited. I will take this experience with me for the rest of my life as a time where I have felt completely at home, appreciated, and unbelievably inspired.Each day of the week brought forth new magic and delightful surprises. From my studio window, I watched the different colors of the sky and the weather change, keeping in tune with the landscape and feeling my body circadian rhythm match that of the earth. Daily walks with the other artists led us to discover queens corners of the village, pathways past rolling sheep farms, and pristine gardens hidden away beside cottages. On a hot day, we may go swimming in the pond and let the cool mountain spring water heal our sun heated skin. And every evening, a spread of food fit for a king is set out for us and a gong is rung so that way we all may partake together and enjoy the delicious succulent food and each other’s company. The creative collaboration of so many different artists from different backgrounds is priceless. If you are ever created we stuck, discussing it with other educated and inspired individuals will be sure to give light to your artistic dilemma.In my own practice, I have been able to do about a dozen paintings so far, ranging from plein air works capturing the gorgeous landscape to imaginative sketches inspired by fairytales completed in my studio, to figure drawing sketches as myself and the other residents took turns modeling for each other. I am also working on a very large painting that I have really put my heart and soul into depicting a woman with her arms outstretched and golden rays coming out of each hand; she seems to be in a trance in a beautiful woodland, creativity pouring out of her hands. There are many layers to the meaning behind this painting, but I am enjoying the process of discovering it as I create it.I have also created a short dramatic and comedic film inspired by fairytales, as a collaboration with two of the other residents. It is called the “Princess and the Fox” and it was a playful delight to create! The château hosted a screening night for the film, and all of the residents watched after the film was complete. It was a moment of such honor and love, and so gratifying to hear the laughs, enjoyment and feedback from the residents as they watched our creation! You too can watch the film if you are curious, by clicking here or on the image below.I still have several days left at the Château, and am hard at work creating and finishing the work that I have begun here. It is truly one of the most magical and transformative experiences of my life being here and a place where my soul feels completely at peace. For those of you who want a deeper dive into my experience at the Château, you can watch my YouTube video I made about the first week by clicking here . And below, enjoy some photos from my experience there.
AUGUST 2022: After getting back from France in August, I began preparing for my solo show Preternatural on September 11th. During August, I framed work made in France, pre-sold work to collectors, and recovered from the trip!
SEPTEMBER 2022: The beginning of September included a beautiful editorial of my work published by Beautiful Bizarre Magazine. You can read it here!
On September 11th, the Tyler Arboretum and Era Contemporary hosted my exhibition Preternatural. It was a magical evening, with all of my recent work on display, a wonderful turnout, and yummy food and drinks. I also had a calming musical sound bath performance by Dallas Bardo, including harps, rainsticks, gongs and more. This exhibition has been my most successful to date, with most pieces selling in the collection. There are still a few originals left as well as prints, which you can browse here.
Below are pictures taken from the exhibition, most taken by James Van Cleaf.
SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER: In early September, I took a breath after my exhibition and rested, shipping off the last of the pieces sold. Then, on October 15, I made an offer on a very cool 1950s stone ranch house along the Main Line of Philadelphia. It needed a lot of work, but it had great bones and a very zen-like feeling to the space. My offer was accepted! I had been looking for another place for several years after fixing up my 700-square foot, 100 year old rowhome in Manayunk. I wanted somewhere I could both live and work, with space to breathe. I began the process of getting my home ready for sale next…lots of donating things, organizing and giving away. It was a chance to go through everything and anything and start fresh!
In Late October, I went away with family for a week in Ireland. There I created several watercolors and had many adventures on the beautiful cliffs of Ireland, horsebackriding, and exploring old Irish castles! See below for a few pictures from Ireland.
NOVEMBER 2022: In November, I moved into my new 1950s stone ranch! The day after I moved in, I hosted an open house for my Manayunk rowhome, and it sold the first day. And due to a synchronicity beyond me, the realtor for the buyer happened to have collected a large piece of mine ten years ago, before I started keeping good records! She recognized my name and texted pictures of the piece in her kitchen! It was truly meant to be!
DECEMBER 2022: Closing for my Manayunk house to the new buyer! After closing, I began renovating my new place. It is an intensive process, and I’ve been at it for a month and a half. In that time, the carpets have been ripped up and replaced by pale, airy maple wood, the walls painted, new lighting installed, the kitchen updated and so much more. I am going with a “Parisian Zen” feel to the place, in calming neutral shades. My favorite part of the place is the sunroom where my plants are growing! And, the studio is coming along–a perfect workspace adjacent to the main living space! When things are a little more settled, I will share some before and after shots.
December also brought the opening reception for Legends of the Moon, a group exhibition I curated for Era Contemporary and hosted by Tyler Arboretum. It brought together many different artists work, all to be digitally catalogued and sent to the moon with the Lunar Codex, thanks to Samuel Peralta! It was a wonderful exhibition with a live harpist, food, hot cocoa, stargazing with astronomers and firepits to observe the moon right outside the show. Two of my own works were also included in the show, to be sent to the moon as well.
In 2022, I also had work included in the following group exhibitions: Salon de Refuses at the Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art, 158th Annual Exhibition of Small Oil Paintings at the Philadelphia Sketch Club, The Art of the Flower at the Philadelphia Sketch Club, Animalia at Abend Gallery, Wonderland at the Art Effect Gallery, and Phillustration at the Philadelphia Sketch Club. I also completed numerous commissions for private clients.
It’s been an incredible year full of adventures, creativity and learning experiences! A lot of big things happened for me in 2022, like purchasing a home, going on my first artist residency, having work go to the moon, and having my most successful art show ever. I’m proud of what I have accomplished in 2022 and excited for 2023.
Speaking of which…what will 2023 bring?
As I’m planning out my year, I try to leave room for the spontaneous opportunities that inevitably cross my path. But beyond leaving room for flexibility, there are many exciting things I hope to do in 2023! I have a few secret goals I’m not allowing out of the bag yet, but here are a few things already on the calendar:
In March, an artist residency in a Scotland manor house. Relaunching the Luminary Artist Academy. In the summer, another artist residency in France at a different location! In the fall, a group show for Era Contemporary, and also an artist retreat I will be hosting in my new home. In late fall, perhaps a solo show around a new body of work made this year!
More details to come of course, as the year unfolds! Thank you as always for your part in my creative career, I am so thankful for your invaluable contribution of time, attention and support.
Today, I woke up in the land of fairies, leprechauns and enchantment, surrounded by the emerald green of Ireland. I am here exploring this mystical island for the next few days, seeing castles and the wild rocky cliffs of the coastline, haunted manors and tale-as-old-as-time libraries full of ancient books. I am already in love with the verdant landscape, wild horses and patchwork of green farms that I saw on my way in.
I promise I will write more this week as my adventure unfolds, but for now I wanted to let you know that I will be creating five (5) artworks while I am here in Ireland this week. They will be small works, 6″ x 8″, using ink and watercolor, similar in style to my piece above (“The Brave Adventuress”, 2019). The subject matter will range from castles to mythical creatures to verdant, textured landscapes!
This week has been one of renewed inspiration and creativity! I’ve experienced the magic and wild beauty of Ireland, and my time here is not over yet. I’m excited to share with you a short video I made documenting the first three days of my trip, including the creation of one of my Irish Mystery Paintings and a windy, beautiful trip to the coast! Click here or on the image above to share in the experience.
As with the French Mystery Paintings before, those who purchase an Emerald Isle Mystery Painting will receive a private email a few days after my trip (the week of October 22nd) with pictures of the pieces I made. Then, collectors will have the chance to respond and claim which piece they would like, first come first serve.
Above, Soft Sea, oil on Belgian linen mounted on panel, 8″ x 10″, by Jessica Libor. Purchase here.
Above, The Inn at Cape May, the painting on site in front of the hotel of the same name! Cape May, NJ is known for its Victorian homes.
The Inn at Cape May, oil on panel, 11″ x 14″, by Jessica Libor. Purchase here.
Inside the Inn at Cape May
Visiting the lighthouse in Cape May
Summer is going by swimmingly, and I am soaking up as much time outside as possible! That means lots of plein air painting. I am excited to share two new paintings that are available, Soft Sea and The Inn at Cape May. Soft Sea is part of the new Era Contemporary Gallery group online exhibition, Summer Love! I am thrilled to be exhibiting with such fabulous artists. Soft Sea original is available for purchase on my website here. I am also making hand signed, open edition prints of this piece, available to order here.
The other new piece available is called The Inn at Cape May, and is a portrait of a hotel of the same name. I visited Cape May with another artist friend this month and we explored the coastal town. The Inn is a dramatic, historic presence within the Victorian beach town. In the fall of 1894, William H. Church, a contractor and builder, of West Cape May, began work on a 60-room boarding house at the foot of Ocean Street opposite the Star Villas, one of the most delightful locations on the beachfront. This was the Inn at Cape May. It is full of beauty and eccentricities in its design, both interior and exterior, and captured my imagination. I am sure it has seen many things! It is available for purchase on my website here.
I have also re-opened my shop, new and improved! To celebrate this, please use the code JULY to take 15% off anything you like, code good until midnight, July 22nd.
In my last post, I talked about the challenges that a feminine artist might face as she builds her art career and life. If you missed that, you can read it here on my blog.
However, the feminine artist also has so many strengths and advantages! First of all, what is a feminine artist? We all have masculine and feminine aspects within us, but if you have predominantly feminine energy in your artwork you might feel:
1. Sensitive to your environment 2. Feel your emotions deeply 3. Make art that means a lot to you, and reflects your heart 4. Are drawn to depicting “soft” subjects in your art, like florals, fashion, love, and beauty 5. You are more drawn to being absorbed in your art and creation, and marketing, numbers and strategy is something you avoid or overwhelms you 6. What is going on in your life and the world affects you and your artwork
If that’s you, you’re in good company! I believe the advantages outweigh the challenges of being a feminine artist. The feminine strength is a quiet strength; like the roots of a tree, our strength is anchored in a deep well of subtle power, that eventually grows to become seen and admired, almost like a surprise. There isn’t a lot of noise…until there is massive flowering. So what are some of our unique gifts?
First, femininity is magnetic. It isn’t all about pink and ruffles, either! The essence of a feminine energy is an exquisite acceptance of herself and her work, a deep knowing of the worth of what she makes and who she is. Think of a beautiful flower blooming in your backyard. She is so fragrant, the colors so perfect, her petals so welcoming that the bees are naturally drawn to her. She doesn’t have to chase them down.
This analogy is true in all aspects of life, but if we use it for the art world, think of how an artist with something really special going on in her work is a magnet for opportunities. She doesn’t have to chase or beg press to write her up, or show up at another person’s exhibition to try to talk to the gallery owner.
But that flower still took action by blooming her best in a place where the bees could find her. Likewise, feminine energy artists can blossom in their work, and let it be seen: on the internet, by sending introductory emails, by engaging in opportunities, by showing up and simply being present. But she does so with a deep inner knowledge that her work is worthy, NOT to gain acceptance or prove anything. She shines, and lets her work be seen, so that opportunities that are WORTHY OF HER can be magnetized to her.
Secondly, feminine artistry is deeply creative. Of course all artists are creative, but feminine creativity especially in females is encoded in our DNA. We are literally equipped to create souls, if not in the literal sense, then in birthing our creations.
We have a natural propensity to lean into our creations and put our heart and soul into them. The feminine artist’s work often is full of curved lines, unexpected textures and a beautiful, intricate look to it. This is a mirror of her mind and heart, and the more you let open that door of freedom to your creativity, the more striking and powerful your imagery will become.
The key is TRUST, trusting your inner psyche that you always have more depths of unexplored creativity that grows more powerful the more you use it.
Third, feminine energy is full of powerful archetypes and enduring story. Just look at the stories and fairy tales that resonate with cultures all over the world and don’t go away, that always center on a female protagonist. We do not always embody the princess (although I’m not gonna lie, it’s one of my favorite archetypes!) Feminine archetypes include the Queen, the Teacher, the Princess, the Angel, the Servant, the Heroine, the Crone, the Witch, the Healer, the Saint, the Virgin, the Fallen Woman, and more with almost endless variations of this.
These archetypes are repeated in stories throughout the ages and have been embedded in our psyche. And although none of us is just one of these things, it can be helpful to take some of the powerful stories and imagery of these characters that you identify with, and incorporate it in your business and persona as a feminine artist.
Imagine LEANING INTO the archetypes you like to strengthen your art, your luminosity in the art world, and your understanding of human behaviors around feminine lore…that persist up until modern day! And, you get to create your own story around your archetypes.
Red Riding Hood, by Jessica Libor
By leaning into your favorite archetypes, you can create a more striking and enduring feeling around your art that will linger in the mind.
I will be digging more deeply into Archetypes in my expansive course especially made for feminine, contemporary realist artists that will be launching soon! If you are interested in getting on the waitlist (no commitment, you’ll just be the first to be notified when it goes live!) you can click HERE.
There are so many more benefits to being a feminine artist, and I just wanted to encourage you that you are not alone; that your femininity can be your strength, if you embrace it.
In a few weeks, I will be opening a new course that will be my most comprehensive course yet, especially for feminine, contemporary realist artists who are ready to make the next three months a flowering and growth like never before of their artistic practice and career. This course is open to both men and women but is written for people who create in an emotional, feminine, way in their art.
I have experienced first hand the unique challenges that feminine, empathetic people face in the art world. Some of these setbacks are self imposed, and others are external. Tell me, have you ever felt like this?
1. You find yourself struggling to share your work because it is so close to your heart and emotional to you. You fear being hurt if you expose yourself.
2. You are drawn to representing pretty things, love painting fashion, romance, motherhood and other “soft” subjects, that you fear the art world will never take seriously, but that touch your heart and bring you joy.
3. You are overwhelmed with the business side of art. When it comes to taxes, keeping inventory, marketing and advertising, you would rather just go back to the studio, put on some beautiful music and get lost in your painting again. You feel like you’re not good at that stuff. ( Or is it that you have just been socialized to believe that? )
4. You struggle with pricing your work over a certain price point because it then crosses the threshold into making serious money. ( Is my art worth that? What if I make more than my partner and am no longer the feminine one? What if someone tells me it’s not worth that much? What if I intimidate people? Will people laugh at me? I will no longer be a cute, approachable artist if I ask people to pay this much! )
5. You struggle with feeling like you have to choose between a traditional family or a soaring career.
6. You feel like you never have enough time to expand your career because you are taking care of other people and things, and have given so much of yourself in other areas.
(Above) Portrait of Fanny Eaton, be Simeon Solomon
7. Sometimes you feel like your desire to have a great, successful career is selfish.
8. You often damper down your femininity in life and in your art because you do not want to appear silly, especially in a male-dominated art world.
9. Sometimes you struggle to take yourself and your ambitions seriously because you have been brought up to believe that art is not a serious profession.
10. You feel things very deeply, whether that be your cycle each month, the fluctuations within your family or romantic relationship, and world events, all of which impact and sometimes immobilize your creativity.
If you recognize yourself in any of these things, just know that you are not alone. I have spoken to many feminine people who have felt these unique challenges.
But, we ALSO have unique strengths in the art world that are invaluable, which I will be covering in my next letter!
In the meantime, if this course sounds like it is of interest to you, please join the waiting list to be kept abreast of all developments (you can join the waitlist HERE, with no commitment of any kind).
I would also love to hear from you. What unique struggles have you faced as a feminine artist? Do these challenges resonate with you? What have I left out?
I’m very excited to be curating The New Pre-Raphaelites exhibition with Era Contemporary Gallery, opening virtually on September 25. Tickets are free to attend and you can register here!
There are 40 artists in the show and over 70 artworks available. This is truly an epic exhibit with some of the leaders in the contemporary realism art scene exhibiting. I’m so honored and humbled to be working with these amazing artists and people! I also have a few artworks in the show, seen below. Please contact me at jlibor@jessicalibor.com if you are interested in any of these pieces.
(Above) The Call, oil on panel, 36″ x 48″, by Jessica Libor “Wonder”, oil on canvas, 72″ x 48″, by Jessica LiborTransformation, oil on canvas, 36″ x 72″, by Jessica Libor
But who were the original Pre-Raphaelites, and what do they have to do with the exhibition today? The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood was a tight knit small group of artists working in England in the mid 1800s, who had a potent effect on the art scene and paved the way for Art Nouveau. Thier style was characterized by a sincere romanticism, use of costuming and storytelling, and a reverence for beauty and nature. The upcoming contemporary show, The New Pre-Raphaelites, is a collection of art by artists living today who are inspired by these same ideals.
To listen to more of my personal inspiration in relation to the Pre-Raphaelites and a more in depth history lesson, I invite you to listen to my episode 21 on The Inspired Painter Podcast all about this unique art movement.
Who were your favorite painters of the Pre-Raphaelites? I will have to say for me it is John Millais, the artist who painted the famous Ophelia. It epitomizes everything about the Pre-Raphaelites that I love: nature, costuming, an emotional mythical story, and beautiful craftsmanship.
The New Pre-Raphaelites exhibition through Era Contemporary is up all fall; visit www.eracontemporary.com for more details.
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!
