• Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • art
  • lifestyle
  • fashion
  • beauty
  • Shop

Jessica Libor

~ Studio Journal

Jessica Libor

Tag Archives: artist interview

Astonish yourself: an interview with artist Alessandra Maria

29 Monday Jul 2019

Posted by Jessica Libor in art, Artist Profiles, Inspiration, Interviews, Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

alessandra maria, alessandra maria artist, art, art techniques, artist, artist interview, artist mindset, contemporary artist, contemporary realism, deep work, drawing, fine art, gilding, gold leaf art, jessica libor, painting, success mindset, willpower

Alessandra 7

Alessandra Maria

I met Alessandra a few years ago in New York City at an opening at Arcadia Gallery, before they relocated to California. I remember connecting about art and the passion needed to be an artist, and talking about the process of making work.  When she showed me her work I was struck by her clear vision and stunning imagery.  There is something very mystical and monumental about her work.  It takes me to another time and place, feels like another dimension not of this world: like a curtain pulled back to reveal a complex, many-layered, precious representation of a moment or story.

Alessandra is currently working on large scale pieces to be on display at Gallery Fledermaus in January 2019.  Graduating from Pratt in 2012, she now works in Boston and describes her work as an exploration of personal iconography.  I hope you enjoy the interview below and gain insight into Alessandra’s practice, inspiration, and words of advice for artists everywhere.

 

Alessandra 2

Alessandra Maria

 

What are you excited about in your practice right now?

It’s a secret!  Wish I could tell you, but suffice to say I’m working on some larger scale projects.

 

When did  you become interested in becoming a practicing artist?

When I was in college I majored in graphic design, and later realized that  I hated it.  After switching to Illustration, I further realized that I wanted to be 100% self-directed in terms of what I make and why.  It was at that time that I realized I wanted to be an artist.

 

Describe an experience of other artist’s work you have seen that has influenced your artistic path.

When I was in college, I encountered Klimt for the first time in person at the Neue.  It completely changed by life and gave me a fervent desire to make something that gave me the same feeling.  It’s hard to describe, but I felt like a new world had been opened up to me.

 

Alessandra 3

Alessandra Maria

 

How did you develop your unique style of work?  Was there an experimenting phase before you made the kind of work we see you making now?

It was simple, but not easy.  I had an image in my head that  I needed to make, and had to learn how to use my media properly in order to create it.  I always fall a little bit short, but with each piece I manage to get closer and closer.

 

How do you organize your daily studio time?  Around how many hours per week do you work on your art?

I used to just work as much as possible, and it was incredibly disorganized and less effective than it could have been.  My email inbox was always a mess, my studio was in disarray, and I would often work for 14 hours straight and just collapse at home in a heap of exhaustion.  There was always something more to do.  I’ve always been into self-help books and organization strategies, so in recent months I’ve been troube shooting and researching to streamline my process; in particular, I’ve modeled my work habits off a book called Deep Work.

My current schedule involves 4 to 5 “blocks” of 1.5 hours of work a day.  I leave my cell phone in my car, I don’t have internet in my studio, and I work in complete silence – this ensures I am completely focused on what’s at hand.  It’s mentally exhausting, so between each block, I will take a small walk for about 20 minutes.  ON Mondays (today, when I am writing this), I answer all my emails and get to inbox 0, and organize my projects for the week.

It’s crazy.  I am working less actual hours, but the quality of those hours is so much greater that  I don’t need to do more.  Because I have to concentrate so hard during the 6 to 7.5 hours a day, I often am incapable of doing meaningful work beyond that.

 

Alessandra 4

Alessandra Maria

 

Do you have a favorite space/studio you like to work in?

My studio right now is my favorite I’ve ever had.  It has more space than I know what to do with, and tall ceilings with plenty of light.  I love being there everyday.

 

What would be some advice you would give artists who are not yet full-time professional artists, but would like to be?  What are some of the most important steps they can take?

To me, there’s three components that are crucial to success: quality, production, and mindset.

Regarding quality, a quote from one of my teachers in college, Chang Park, hits the nail on the head.  “Never compromise your aesthetic.”

For production, this is going to sound a bit harsh, but it’s crucial, and maybe the most important of all three: stop *** procrastinating.  I’m often amazed by how many students fail to make their work because they haven’t “had time” to go to the art store and just buy the tool they need (sometimes for weeks, which often turns into months and then years), how many put off learning to work with a media but will get to it “someday”.  I’m not saying this in a judgmental way, I struggled with it too.  But it was so massively instrumental to my own success to learn to quash that urge to put things off.

I don’t believe discipline is something someone just “has or doesn’t have”; learning to be action-focused and never procrastinate is a skill, I think, and one that has to be practiced and fostered.  For anyone who wants more information, read the book “Willpower.”

Lastly, for mindset: be humble.  Don’t get caught up in the “tortured artist” stereotype; self-aggrandizement just serves to make you less capable of seeing your work objectively, which means you can’t improve it in a meaningful way.  A sense of humility with your own work is massively important.

 

What do you think the role of artists are in society?

To tell the truth.  It’s broad, but that to me is the most encompassing definition that covers the myriad forms of practice and expression out there.

 

Alessandra 6

Alessandra Maria

 

What is one mindset artists can adopt that will help them succeed?

Imagine with me for a moment that you walk into a gallery, and in front of you is the most astonishing, amazing, jaw-dropping work you’ve ever seen.  The sort of work that makes you want to sit in the gallery for hours and just be with it.  Really try to imagine this – I do this exercise frequently.

Now, go make that work.  Make work that’s 100% for yourself.

 

Learn more about Alessandra Maria and see her work at www.alessandramaria.com.

An artist should never avert their gaze

04 Wednesday Nov 2015

Posted by Jessica Libor in art, Inspiration, Journeys

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

art, art school, artist, artist bios, artist interview, artwork, beautiful art, city, contemporary art, creative, creativity, culture, design, getaway, halloween, Installation Art, jessica libor, Master of Fine Arts, moma, new york, New York City, NYC, pennsylvania academy of the fine arts, weekend

View from the Moma, photo by Jessica Libor

View from the Moma, photo by Jessica Libor

This weekend I spent an entertaining, delightful and educational weekend in New York City. The entertaining part was from spending Halloween there with some friends, and getting to see first hand all the revelry the city had to offer. What struck me most was how almost every person we saw was dressed up in some interesting costume, had painted their face in an artistic way, or was at least wearing an eye catching hat. My favorite costume was two people dressed in white, who had a cloud-like hat on their heads, glowing with blueish white lights. From the cloud-like hat ribbons of white streamed down, also lit up at intervals with the sparkling blue-white lights. At first I was confused. Were they clouds? Angels? Ghosts? But as the pair moved down the sidewalk and the ribbons gently swayed backwards, I got it. They were jellyfish.

While in town, I stopped into the Modern Museum of Art to see what was there. Going through the galleries, I stopped at what was interesting to me. I don’t know about you, but when I go to a museum, I feel guilty if I don’ t stop, look at, and read everything. But under time constraints, I let go of that guilt and just stopped at the pieces that struck me. I tried to disassociate myself from being an artist and trying to learn something–to be a person just enjoying the art.

Looking at Jacob's Ladder.  Photo courtesy of John Warner.

Looking at Jacob’s Ladder. Photo courtesy of John Warner.

I liked Jacob’s Ladder by Helen Frankenthaler, an American artist who lived from 1928 to 2011. The label said, “Although it shares a name with the Biblical tale of Jacob’s dream ascent toward heaven, and with an ancient Egyptian toy, Frankenthaler insisted this work had no preplanned illustrational intention: “The picture developed (bit by bit while I was working on it) into shapes symbolic of an exuberant figure and ladder: therefore “Jacob’s Ladder.” Working in New York in the 1950s, Frankenthaler painted large-scale unprimed canvases on the floor to explore new ways of handling distinctively thind paint. The artist said she borrowed from Jackson Pollock her “concern with line, fluid line, calligraphy, and…experiments with line not as line but as shape.”

My favorite piece was a huge installation/sculpture by Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang called “Borrowing Your Enemy’s Arrows. It was made in 1998 and had to be over 20 feet long, and was suspended from the ceiling high above you. It immediately had a magical, transportative effect on me when I saw it–the whimsical nature of a flying boat, and the feathery aspect of all the flocked arrows stuck into it, immediately had a “wow!” effect and also made me curious what it was all about.

The wow factor.  Photo by Jessica Libor.

The wow factor. Photo by Jessica Libor.

The story behind the piece made me even more fascinated. The label said, “The work of Cai Guo-Qiang often merges cultural and political concerns of both the East and West. This fishing boat, excavated from his hometown of Quanzhou and flying the Chinese flag, is pierced with thousands of arrows. The title refers to a legendary episode from the third century in which a resourceful Chinese general had to replenish a depleted store of arrows. According to the tale, the general tricked the enemy by saying across the Yangtze river through the thick mist of early dawn with a surrogate army made of straw, while his soldiers remained behind yelling and beating on drums. Mistaking the pandemonium for a surprise attack, the opponents showered the decoys with volleys of arrows, which the general then appropriated, returning triumphantly with a freshly captured store of weapons. This work suggests the enduring importance of cunning and strategy, not only in the distant past, but also in the present, as geopolitical power dynamics seem to be in constant flux.”

The piece, even though it was about war, politics and cunning, was still magical and beautiful. It reminds me of a quote I read recently by Lera Auerbach in her book Excess of Being, “An artist should never avert his gaze. Look at it. However awful it may be, it’s life, real life in all its majestic and gory glory. What do you see? What do you see? Now, give it form.”

Another view.  Photo by Jessica Libor.

Another view. Photo by Jessica Libor.

I came back refreshed and excited to work on my own art again, with lots of new ideas. That’s what travel is all about, I think–getting outside the normal routine of your life and seeing new things, people, and places, so when you return you see your own home and life with fresh eyes and appreciation.

Waterfall park...photo courtesy of Elizabeth Mier.

Waterfall park…photo courtesy of Elizabeth Mier.

Art exhibition with Lord and Taylor

13 Friday Mar 2015

Posted by Jessica Libor in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

art, art expert, art students, artist, artist bios, artist interview, artist interviews, artist studios, beautiful, beautiful art, beautiful paintings of women, classical realism, contemporary female artists, emerging artist, events, fairy tale art, fantasy, female artist, female artists, fine art, king of prussia mall, lord & taylor, lord and taylor

Sisters, oil and 23 karat gold leaf on panel, 18"x24", Jessica Libor 2015

Sisters, oil and 23 karat gold leaf on panel, 18″x24″, Jessica Libor 2015

I am so very honored and excited to invite you to a special art show called “Portrait of a Fantasy” on Friday, March 20 and Saturday, March 21 at Lord and Taylor in King of Prussia Mall.

This unique partnership between my artistic vision and Lord and Taylor is such a great collaboration for me. I hope you will come to see my newest works on display in the center of the store, with ten paintings and many print selections. The work will be available for purchase, and I will be present the entire time. I truly hope to see you there!

The details are as follows:

Private reception: Friday, March 20, 5:30-8:30pm
Day open exhibition: Saturday, March 21, 12:00-6:00

Please RSVP to jlibor@jessicalibor.com if you would like to come to the private reception. Thank you so much, and I look forward to seeing you there!

Creatively,

Jessica

smiling jess

ps-don’t forget to subscribe via email if you’d like to keep up to date!

Listen to Jessica Libor Interview Audio Clip

20 Tuesday Jan 2015

Posted by Jessica Libor in Exhibitions, In My Studio, Inspiration, Journeys, Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

art, artist interview, creative living, creative process, how to make art, interview, jessica libor artist, radio interview

Jessica Libor radio interview croppedLast evening I had the pleasure of being a guest on air at WEEU 830 AM with host Nick Lawrence.  It was such an honor and a lot of fun, as well!  We talked about where my inspiration comes from, my creative process, and much more.  In case you missed it, the audio clip from the interview is below.  Thanks for listening!

If you’d like to get each new post delivered to your inbox, go ahead and subscribe using the button to the left. Thanks so much!

 

 

Jessica Libor Radio Interview Tonight at 8

19 Monday Jan 2015

Posted by Jessica Libor in Exhibitions, In My Studio, Journeys

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

airwaves, artist interview, female artist, interview, jessica libor, radio

Jessica at Art and Light 2

Sooo I am super excited, honored…and a little nervous…that tonight at 8:00 I’ll be on the radio!  The station is 830 AM, WEEU, a station that covers Berks County and beyond in PA.  I’ll be doing an interview with Nick Lawrence, a talk show host for the station.  We’ll be discussing my art techniques and inspiration. I’ll be on at 8:00 tonight (1/19/15) and you can listen live through WEEU’s website, at http://weeu.com/.

Wish me luck!  Talk to you on the airwaves! 🙂

PORTFOLIO

Free Visioncasting Mini-Course for Artists: make it your best year ever! Click here to get it.

Free Visioncasting Mini-Course for Artists

Follow Blog via Email

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 250 other subscribers

Follow on Instagram

Click here to follow Jessica on Instagram!

PBS WHYY Interview

Click to watch my interview for Articulate with WHYY PBS

 

Top Posts & Pages

  • "Tender Trio" original pastel painting for Valentine's
    "Tender Trio" original pastel painting for Valentine's
  • Christian Birmingham's World of Fantasty
    Christian Birmingham's World of Fantasty
  • How to Paint Like the Masters: Part 6, Painting the Ebauche
    How to Paint Like the Masters: Part 6, Painting the Ebauche
  • How to Paint Like the Masters: Part 7, Window Shading and Glazing
    How to Paint Like the Masters: Part 7, Window Shading and Glazing
  • Why it's not selfish to want success as an artist and how to stop feeling guilty
    Why it's not selfish to want success as an artist and how to stop feeling guilty
  • My quest for the BEST organic, natural lipstick: RMS Wild With Desire verses Ilia
    My quest for the BEST organic, natural lipstick: RMS Wild With Desire verses Ilia

Archives

Listen to the Podcast

[convertkit form=5087986]

Powered by WordPress.com.

 

Loading Comments...