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Jessica Libor in the Times Herald

17 Wednesday Mar 2021

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I’m honored that my work has been featured recently in the March 11 issue of the Times Herald!  I also wanted to encourage you that if you are an artist,  YOU TOO can start to get press for your artwork.  To start to get press, I like to guide artists to:

1. Proactively seek out press by cultivating relationships with publications and writers
2. Determine what you would like to get press for– an event, an exhibit, or a topic
3. Gather together into a press release for your news worthy topic, including pictures of your pieces, you, and your angle on the topic.
4. Address your press release to individual writers at the news outlets you’d like to be featured in!
5. Follow up twice.

In the comprehensive course I am creating for contemporary realist feminine artist, the Luminary Artist Academy, we go deep into this and the details of each step.  To sign up for the waitlist, click here.

And now, the article from the Times Herald!
Since it’s a little hard to read the scans, here is the article:

Artists found creative outlets and frustration during pandemic

By M. English

For MediaNews Group

PLYMOUTH >> As they look back from the one-year mark, local artists say COVID- 19 has affected their work in a variety of ways.

Plymouth Meeting painter Susannah Hart Thomer says art has allowed her to focus on “something positive and wonderful during this terrible time.”

“For me…it fills the time with the happiness and luxury of creating, developing and spending hours of time sitting on the floor doing my watercolor paintings…,” Thomer says. “Even if I…don’t quite like the way the painting’s developing, it doesn’t matter. I just start over. It’s a delight to go into my studio in the morning and be surrounded by art (and) discuss my paintings with friends by emailing my work to get their knowledgeable views and opinions of it.”

Ambler’s Lynn Hoffmann has found “more time to reflect” and experiment with new techniques and materials in her Hand and Wheel Pottery studio. For example, “materials other than clay to make larger outdoor sculptures that don’t require clay or a kiln.”

“It really has been kind of nice to think and dream way out of my normal box but sad to not see others as much in the beginning,” Hoffmann says. “After I experiment with new things, I bring them to my students, who love seeing new things. (It) feels really good to be so open to new ideas and let possibilities enter into existence. For me, nothing is worse than repeating the same things over and over. I love to experiment and learn.”

Despite her cheerful outlook, Thomer acknowledged “the seeming foreverness” of the pandemic, and others shared parallel sentiments.

Conshohocken Ar t League’s Eileen McDonnell recalls a quick visit to CAL’s studio at Mary Wood Park House last November as “truly surreal…something out of a dystopian novel.”

“The children’s paintings were still splayed on the tables… some chairs askew, some paint containers scattered near each student’s work,” McDonnell says. “Reference books for that project were still opened. Everything was covered in a light dust, some cobwebs here and there, some new water damage cracking the ceiling, insanely quiet. It was as if some bomb had dropped and left everything in suspended animation.”

Zoom picked up some of the slack, but the format wasn’t a universal remedy for CAL’s usual in-person classes, especially live model sessions when “the lighting and three dimensional quality of working from life was distorted by the lens and arbitrary camera angle of the instructor,” the local painter says.

One positive, McDonnell notes, “the pockets of adult artist groups who now meet each week online to share their personal projects…no pressure, just sharing inspiration, contacts, techniques, material sources (and) art news.”

Initially, the pandemic stopped Whitemarsh Art Center’s Charlotte Lindley Martin in her tracks.

“March 13, 2020 – Lockdown – I stopped making art,” Martin remembers.

She returned to “the studio energized and engaged” in May when she and fellow WAC staffer Matt Courtney began making ceramic hand-building videos for online tutorials.

“We were educating from afar, and the result was our students were creating art,” Martin says. “Inspired by my granddaughter, I made videos for children. Next came live Zoom classes. Planning a weekly lesson making templates, trying out forms, finding inspiration for them, putting them on Pinterest and testing underglazes using mason stains.”

All of which increased her “knowledge base” and allowed Martin to learn “alongside my students.” As part of that: “I am gratefully using the new-found knowledge garnered by teaching and experimenting… making small sculptures, taking risks and embracing the changes. In my isolation, I am making art that is for me.”

Fellow WAC ar tist Jeanine Pennell also learned to adjust after her “entire calendar of art fairs and shows was wiped clean.”

“I had nothing to look forward to, but I knew I needed to continue to create,” Pennell says. “I decided to focus on creating a single body of work that had its own theme, sort of my own thesis… (and) set out to create a minimum of seven pieces that at some future time would be shown together. I missed travel the most, so I aimed my focus in that direction and began a series I entitled ‘Absurd Travel.’ Long stretches in the studio have afforded me the freedom to try new techniques and create larger pieces.”

Pondering the pandemic’s “impact on millions of quarantined individuals” as well as the concept of “the selfie as a self-portrait” during physical isolation inspired Greater Norristown Art League painter Jessica Libor’s stylized portraits of women.

“I was particularly inspired to do this series because of the impact on millions of quarantined individuals,” Libor says. “With nowhere to go socially, how do we as individuals still express our creative personalities through our styling? Does it still matter to get dressed up if no one will see you? How does creating a selfie with your cell phone mimic the process of creating a work of art? Many things are the same: Choosing the elements, composition, lighting, colors and subject matter.”

In the end, “in many ways, the selfie and the self-portrait are the same thing: The artist’s version of themselves that they want to reveal to the world. Through blending fantasy and reality, they can be perceived as who they aspire to be. How does creating an idealized fantasy world surrounding you create relief psychologically? Is it escapism or creativity?”

At first, GNAL’s Betz Green viewed quarantine as “an unexpected treat to be able to spend endless hours in the studio.”

“Well, that sense of euphoria lasted a couple of weeks,” Green says. “Then, reality set in. I was working in a vacuum with no museums, no art shows, no art classes, no friends. Production fell off drastically for a few months until the world slowly began to once again open up, presenting opportunities and other people. The pandemic itself does not influence my work. I do not allow it to enter my studio space or my head space when in the studio.”

I’m honored to be a part of this thoughtful article about artists during the pandemic.
     This week, I am simply continuing to work on my new art for WILDLOVE, the upcoming exhibit in May!   To register for that, click here.

Lastly, I am hosting a virtual Wine and Watercolor social instructed paint along this Sunday, and I’d love it if you joined me!  Click here or the image below to register!

Have a wonderful week  🙂
Stay well,

Jessica Libor
Visual Artist
www.jessicalibor.com/available

Happy International Women’s Day! Spotlight on Elisabeth Vigee Labrun

08 Monday Mar 2021

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Self Portrait in a Staw Hat, by Elisabeth Vigee Labrun

Happy International Women’s Day! I am so happy that there is a day to celebrate courageous and wonderful women all around the world, regardless of what stage of their life that they are in. Let’s celebrate the women in our lives who are our mothers, daughters, sisters, friends, relatives, colleagues, and creative that we look up to! For this international women’s day, I wanted to honor the women who are part of our community of the visionary artist salon! If you haven’t yet joined our Facebook group, you can do so here! We’d love to see what you’re working on, be invited to your exhibitions, and hear your struggles and triumphs.

To celebrate International Women’s Day, I like to focus on one woman a preeminent artist who was a favorite portraitist of Marie Antoinette, Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun.  Elisabeth was an independent artist, mother, wife and world traveler, as well as frequent Salon host.   Her subject matter and color palette can be classified as Rococo, but her style is aligned with the emergence of Neoclassicism. 

Marie Antoniette, by Elisabeth Vigee Labrun

She enjoyed the patronage of European aristocrats, actors, and writers, and was elected to art academies in ten cities.  As her career blossomed, Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun was granted patronage by Marie Antoinette.   She painted more than 30 portraits of the queen and her family,  leading to the common perception that she was the official portraitist of Marie Antoinette. At the Salon of 1783, Vigée Le Brun exhibited Marie-Antoinette in a Muslin Dress (1783), sometimes called Marie-Antoinette en gaulle, in which the queen chose to be shown in a simple, informal white cotton garment. 

She led a long and interesting life, escaping the French revolution when the tables turned on Marie Antoinette and making a home for herself in Russia for quite a long time before returning to her home country of France.   And accomplished artist, she was known not only for her brilliant self portraits and masterful execution Color and form, but also subtly influenced the fashion of France. She was the one who, through her own style of wearing a simple white dress with a colored sash, influence Marie Antoinette to do the same, and when her portrait was done in that style, it became all the rage as the fashionable style. 

Vigée Le Brun,  Marie-Antoinette in a Muslin Dress 

Vigée La Brun created some 660 portraits and 200 landscapes.   In addition to many works in private collections, her paintings are owned by major museums, such as the Louvre, Hermitage Museum, National Gallery in London, Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and many other collections in continental Europe and the United States.  She lived 1755-1842.

There is a fabulous dramatized documentary on Netflix about Elisabeth you might enjoy, The Fabulous Life of Elisabeth Vigee La Brun, in honor of International Women’s Day! 


Elisabeth lived during a time in France where salons, from which the Visionary Artist’s Salon is inspired by, were just gaining popularity. You will see in the film dramatizations of the salons that Elizabeth held within her own apartments, sometimes dramatic affairs with costumes, feasts, and artists, writers, and thinkers of the day present.  The Parisian salons of the 18th century allowed women to play a positive role in the public sphere of French society. Salons provided a unique outlet where women’s ideas could be heard. Women, in addition to conversing with men at an academic level, had the power to influence the topics major philosophers studied. The cross-class communication that salons fostered also allowed social groups, which had never before interacted, to share ideas. Women’s contributions to the development of intellectual and scientific ideas through their role as salonierres marked a cultural shift in how women should be accepted and involved in society. 


Above, Madam Grande, by Elisabeth Vigee Labrun

I hope this little history lesson has inspired you and empowered you to create your own epic story if you are a female artist! Speaking of which, the luminary or the salon will be opening in a few weeks, and if you are a female contemporary realist artist, this may be the program to ship to you into a higher plan that you have been looking for. In this program, I am sharing  how to build a profitable, authentic art career while embracing your own feminine spirit.  You can get on the waitlist to learn more about it by clicking here! Thank you so much for shining bright, and happy International Women’s Day!

You’re also invited to my Sunday watercolor paint along!  Register for the event here, held from 3-5pm on Sunday, March 21. 

With love, light, and creativity,


Jessica Libor
Artistic Coach
The Visionary Artist’s Salon

The Strengths of the Feminine Artist

22 Monday Feb 2021

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    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.

Have a wonderful week!

With love, light, and creativity,


Jessica Libor
Artistic Coach
The Visionary Artist’s Salon

Most artwork used with permission from the Birmingham Museum of Art

The special challenges of the feminine artist

16 Tuesday Feb 2021

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 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?

Sending you light, love, and creativity,

Jessica Libor
Artist and Artistic Coach
The Visionary Artist’s Salon

Drawings in this email are from the Birmingham Museum of Art, used with permission.

No one is born a master artist

28 Monday Dec 2020

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Michaelangelo’s Sistine Chapel detail

When I get overwhelmed by the amount of masterpieces in the world, from the vast repository of master works made through the centuries, to the incredible dedication and talent of people working today in the arts, it can be tempting to say “What can I do?” and “How can I ever compare?”

When I feel this way, it helps to remember two points.

First of all, the impact of art is not measured by technical perfection alone. As a realist artist, it can be tempting to say “If I just get better with my technique, learn more about color theory, or master light…then my art will be truly impactful”. And while it will certainly IMPROVE the quality of my art to learn new things, art is not about how perfectly you can copy reality.

It is also about the human impulse, the recording of your feelings and sentient thought, the capturing of the energy and imagination of the artist. This can be done sometimes by just a few lines (Think of Matisse’s ink drawings!) So sometimes it’s not about the technical brilliance–it’s about tapping into your heart and your emotions and letting that come out onto your art.

Mattisse Drawing

Second, I like to remind myself that art is a journey and each artist goes through different stages of development. We learn and we grow through each phase of life. And no artist was born knowing how to create a masterpiece. They all studied, practiced, failed, tried again, and again, and by doing more and more and refining their process, eventually they were able to gain the skills and confidence to produce the beautiful works we love today, like the Sistine Chapel. Do you think Michaelangelo could have executed that at 5 years old? No–he had to learn the skills to do this.

So, when you are feeling down on yourself, just remember art is a skill just like anything else that takes practice. It’s up to you to decide how much time, energy and learning you would like to put into it. I promise you the more energy you put in, the more amazing results you’ll get!

How will you further your studies this week?

For those interested, I have a course you can take here!

Have a wonderful week,

Jessica

October Inspiration

28 Wednesday Oct 2020

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The leaves are falling and turning gorgeous colors, but the cold weather has begun to settle in.  The air is crisp and at night you may smell bonfires drifting on the air under the stars.  We are in the heart of autumn!
This has always been for me a time to turn inward, and take stock of how my creativity and artistic goals for the year are going. This year has obviously been very different and challenging, but I take comfort in the fact that we can control our own little corner of the world…for me, my home and studio.

By making my time at home and in the studio as comforting and pleasurable as I can, I create a little oasis of respite from the world. The warmth of lit candles adds a pretty glow, pretty rocks I pick up on my daily walks are arranged artfully, and incense fills the air. I listen to lilting music to put me in a good mood (current fave playlist is French Cafe on Spotify!).

I’ve been taking rambling walks near my studio and marveling at the golden leaves falling against the blue sky. So much beauty in every phase of the year! In my studio, I’ve begun working on a series of paintings for a solo show in April called Wildlove. More details to come as we get closer to the date!

I’ve also been focusing on something quite different, abstract pieces for a pre-holiday collection along with a line of wearable clothing. More details to come this month!

In other news, The Mythical Sea collection of available work on my website will be retiring soon. There are still a few pieces available, so take a look and see if you would like to snatch anything before it’s gone! Click here to shop.

Until next week, wishing you gentle and peaceful days,

Who were the Pre-Raphaelites? Inspiration behind the upcoming exhibit, The New Pre-Raphaelites

19 Saturday Sep 2020

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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 Libor
Transformation, 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.

Jessica Libor

www.jessicalibor.com

The Mythical Sea: Virtual Exhibition and Artist Talk for Charity

22 Monday Jun 2020

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sea nymph 1

In this virtual event, attendees will get a first look at the newest collection of art by Jessica Libor, inspired by the ocean and its stories and fairy tale lore.

This ticket is your reservation to attend the LIVE, VIRTUAL event held over Zoom, and using 3D technology to bring you the experience of actually being in a gallery room with the new artwork! All work will be inspired by the ocean, incorporating both the natural power of the ocean, and also gem-like pieces filled with silver leaf and cool tones evoking the mythical tales of mermaids and sirens.

10% of the sale of all tickets will be donated to Ocean Conservancy, a wonderful nonprofit that works to create science-based solutions for a healthy ocean and the wildlife and communities that depend on it.

Attendees will receive a hand-signed by the artist postcard of the show image, as well as a generous discount on the artwork featured.

Wear your mermaid or beach inspired outfit and join us for this live interactive event in the arts!

Purchase your ticket by clicking here. 

Jessica Libor is an award winning artist from Philadelphia, PA. Find out more about her at http://www.jessicalibor.com.

Jessica Libor featured on The Art Blog

18 Thursday Jun 2020

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Screen Shot 2020-06-17 at 9.12.38 PM

I’m excited to share that two pieces from my recent pastel collection from my show “Enchanted Portals” has been featured on The Art Blog, on their series “Artists in the Time of Coronavirus”.
Several pieces from this collection are still available through my shop here.

The article includes my statements on the work:

Each portrait revealed is a different woman, and these drawings are inspired by the idea of the selfie as a self portrait. The enchanted portal today is technology, and through technology we can curate the way that we are seen, in the same way that artists in other centuries flattered their subjects or imagined a different surrounding for them. I was particularly inspired to do this series because of the impact on millions of quarantined individuals. With nowhere to go socially, how wdo we as individuals still express our creative personalities through our styling? Does it still matter to get dressed up if no one will see you? How does creating a selfie with your cellphone mimic the process of creating a work of art? Many things are the same: choosing the elements, composition, lighting, colors, and subject matter. In many ways, the selfie and the self-portrait are the same thing: the artist’s version of themselves that they want to reveal to the world. Through blending fantasy and reality, they can be perceived as who they aspire to be. How does creating an idealized fantasy world surrounding you create relief psychologically? Is it escapism, or creativity?

It is my belief that the self-portrait of today is the selfie—a way for any individual with a digital device to record their own existence in whatever way feels good to them. It is a way of asserting their presence in the world and reflects the human’s timeless desire to make a mark on society and the world: it is a way to be seen.

Stay well and have a wonderful week!

xo,

Jessica Libor