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

Jessica Libor

~ Studio Journal

Jessica Libor

Tag Archives: beautiful paintings of women

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

23 Monday Apr 2018

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

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

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

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

Jessica Libor

Www.jessicalibor.com

Beginning a new painting: Magical Creatures

12 Thursday Apr 2018

Posted by Jessica Libor in art, In My Studio, Inspiration, Shop

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

advice for artists, art, art expert, art school, artist, beautiful, beautiful art, beautiful paintings of women, classical realism, contemporary art, contemporary female artists, contemporary realism, creative, creativity, drawing, emerging artist, emerging artists, female artist, how to be an artist, how to paint like the masters, inspiration, inspiration for artists, jessica libor, MFA, pafa, painter, painting, pennsylvania academy of the fine arts, social entrepreneurship

It’s always the first day that it goes the quickest. After that, it is all about refining the details. Here is a unicorn painting inspired by my visit to the Met Cloisters and seeing “The Hunt of the Unicorn”. Click the video to see the time lapse!

You could spend forever on a painting, but it’s all about the quality and focus of the time you spend on it. Blocking out all other distractions and focusing all your mind and skill on the painting is like a meditation practice. I am always surprised by how much more quickly and better quality work comes out of a painting session when I’m in this state! I read a book once that described this state as “flow.” Perhaps it deserves a post of its own!

This painting I’m currently working on, “Magical Creatures,” is not completed, so be on the lookout for another post about the finished painting.

In the meantime, my recent painting after Fragonard, ” The Chase,” is completed, with a limited edition print run available in my shop. The prints turned out beautifully…every little brushstroke is captured in detail, and each one is on acid free archival quality paper that is velvety and smooth. Hand signed by me! To grab yours, click here.

The artist’s role in society

30 Thursday Jun 2016

Posted by Jessica Libor in art, beauty, Inspiration, Journeys, lifestyle, Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

advice for artists, arch street press, art, artist, beautiful art, beautiful paintings of women, beauty, Bible, calling, classical realism, creative, culture, drawing, dress, female artist, inspiration for artists, jessica libor, lera auerbach, painting, pay, pennsylvania academy of the fine arts, philosophy, profession, queen victoria, service, society, thoughts, winterhalter

queen-victoria-1842-1 by winterhalter

“Queen Victoria,” by Winterhalter, 1842.  Victoria’s job was to lead her people well.

Recently I’ve been thinking about professions, pay, and service.   Why do some professions pay more than others? For instance, why does a doctor get paid more hourly than a barista?  This has nothing to do with the worthwhile efforts of either of the people holding these jobs.  You could be the best barista on the planet, make the best cup of coffee in the world and serve it with pleasantness, with a design in the foam of your own making.  However, as long as you stay a barista, you will not be compensated for your time and expertise in the way that a doctor will.  Why?

Because people need doctors.  “But I need coffee!” you may exclaim.  You may feel that you need coffee, and you may be addicted to coffee, but you do not need coffee to survive.  However, if you had health issues that needed fixing, you would need a doctor.  A doctor meets a need that the world has.  Many times, a very urgent need.   There is also the skill level that is necessary to become a doctor, one that takes into account years and years of intensive, difficult study and exacting practice.  Enough practice that the doctor can then do what they do best, whether it is general practice or surgery, and feel confident enough that they will not mess up.  You can’t just wake up tomorrow and be one.  It requires decades of planning and dedication.  This service they provide to mankind makes them valuable.   No offense to Baristas here–I love coffee! 🙂

This got me thinking about art and the profession of an artist.  Why would someone become an artist?  At first glance, it seems that making art serves no direct purpose to mankind.  Does it make you healthier?  Safer?  Smarter, calmer or wiser?  Perhaps a little.  Is it simply to amuse?  To inspire?  To send a political message?  There are too many kinds of art to say that all art is for one purpose and one purpose alone.  As varied as there are people on the earth, so are the many kinds of artworks and motivations of the artists that make it.  But the highest paid artists are usually the ones with the strongest vision and best work–so in the same way that doctors are compensated for their service, artists are compensated for their vision.  The more compelling the vision, the greater the contribution to mankind.

Proverbs 29:18a of the Bible reads, “Without a vision, the people perish.”  Perhaps it is we as artists who take our profession too lightly.  It’s a lot of fun to paint, to sculpt, to create things out of your head.  This enjoyable aspect of creativity has given some artists guilt over making a profession out of something they enjoy so much.  But have we as artists ever truly stretched ourselves to find out what the capabilities of our creativity are?  Most of us are capable of far more than we imagined.  It is the job of artists, and creatives, to make this vision in the culture we live in today.  Because it’s vision, hope, imagination that make life worth living.  If you look at it that way, an artist’s job is one of the most important jobs in society of all.

Do you feel called to be an artist?  If you feel that it is a calling, then what if you thought of it also as a responsibility to the world?  That you, not doing your best, would be taking away something great that mankind would otherwise have without you.  Are you truly doing your best?  As Lera Auerbach states in her book Excess of Being: “The gap between good and great is much larger than between good and bad.”  What if you created not for the fame, accolades, fortune or respect, but out of a duty to give your best to the world?  To not think of it as an indulgent thing, but in a service-minded way.  Your art serves a purpose, a unique purpose only you can fulfill.  It is up to you to discover what exactly that is, fulfill it, and give it to the world.

What are your thoughts? Leave a comment and start the conversation!

By Jessica Libor, June 2016

 

 

 

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!

Painting in Progress

21 Friday Mar 2014

Posted by Jessica Libor in In My Studio, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

advice for artists, art expert, artist, artists, beautiful paintings of women, classical realism, drawing, emerging artist, how to paint, inspiration for artists, painting, romantic

This week I’ve been painting away at a new work.  It’s got lush folds and fabrics that are delicious to paint, and some mouth watering fruit that’s nestled in the hand of a figure that’s not seen in the picture.  It’s been fun playing with the different textures and colors in the painting, bringing the fabric, flesh, and fruit to light.  It’s 10×12 inches, oil on board.  No title yet.  Still got a little ways to go on it.

Work in progress by Jessica Libor, 2014

Work in progress by Jessica Libor, 2014

Color Psychology

18 Tuesday Mar 2014

Posted by Jessica Libor in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

artist, beautiful art, beautiful paintings of women, color choices, color psychology, colors, emerging artist, emerging artists, female artist, jessica libor

Screen still from "The Rending", short film by Jessica Libor, 2014

Screen still from “The Rending”, short film by Jessica Libor, 2014

Recently I have become more curious about the psychology of colors.  In my paintings, I see recurring colors come up as part of my personal taste.  Many times these colors are reflected in the clothing choices and home decor choices I make as well.  While most people have a favorite color that they can remember from their childhood, I find it interesting how the color(s) you gravitate towards can say something about your unique makeup as an individual.

The colors I like to bring into my life are rich greens, deep indigo-purples, lavenders, pale pinks, and shimmering golds and silvers.

Looking at other artist’s work, I can see color preferences reflected in their visions, as well.  Some artists have a turquoise-blue tone to their work, others a gray tone.  Some paint in sepia, others, pure shades of black and white.  Some render their work in brilliant technicolor, and some out of shiny substances like bronze or copper.  Each artist has a unique color palette that becomes evident through the mediums they choose to work with, and the colors (or lack of colors) that they include in the spectrum of their creation.

Below are some basic physiological meanings of colors, first in their most positive lights, and also symbolic negative meanings to take into account.

Red: ready to take action, passionate; could mean angry

Orange: optimism, social communication; could mean superficial

Yellow: cheerful, optimistic, intellectual; could mean cowardice and criticism

Green: balance, growth, self reliance; could also mean envy

Blue: trust, peace, loyalty, integrity; could also mean cold and unforgiving

Indigo: idealistic, intuitive; could also mean ritual

Purple: imaginative, creative, individual; could also mean impractical

Turquoise: clarity, clear communication; could also mean idealistic

Pink: nurturing, unconditional love; could also mean silly and girlish

Brown: serious, security, protection; could also mean dull

Gray: the compromise of white and black, a color between two non-colors

Silver: feminine, changing, fluid, sensitive, mysterious, related to the moon; could also be seen as unstable

Gold: success, triumph, and splendor; could also be seen as showy

White: purity, innocence, perfection; could mean blank

Black: mysterious, hidden, secret; could mean evil

I hope this piqued your interest as you look at the color choices you have made in your artwork and life.  I think symbolism can be used in color intentionally, but often it is the choices we make unintentionally in our artwork that are the most interesting.  Now that I’ve learned about this I just may take a look at some of my past work and see if I can decipher what I was really thinking.

Take a moment to subscribe to this blog if you’d like to receive email notifications of each new post, and if you find this interesting or helpful, please feel free to share it with your friends.  Until next time!

Featured in a Philadelphia Art Blog

03 Monday Mar 2014

Posted by Jessica Libor in Artist Profiles, In My Studio, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

artist bios, artist interviews, artist studios, beautiful art, beautiful paintings of women, classical realism, don brewer, emerging artist, emerging artists, gilding, jessica libor, pennsylvania academy of the fine arts, philadelphia artists, studio tour, young artists

Recently, I was featured in DonArtNews, a Philadelphia art blog!  I met Don Brewer, the writer behind the blog, at my studio on a chilly day in January.  We had a great time chatting about the art scene in Philadelphia, and his questions and insights were right on.  Below is the article from Don’s blog.  To see the original, visit his blog at http://www.donartnews.com/jessica-libor/

Jessica Libor, Visual Artist, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts

On a sunny but frigid January day I finally overcame a long standing inhibition of mine – to visit the world renowned Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts on North Broad Street in Philadelphia. I can’t explain why I never visited Philly’s famous art school except with silly excuses. Fear is my top excuse, feeling unworthy or that I just didn’t belong are the primary elements. I know it’s stupid self-flagellation but as fate would have it, Jessica Libor, Master of Fine Arts II student at PAFA discovered DoNArTNeWs and invited me to visit her studio and tour the campus.

We met in the coffee shop and the two of us immediately clicked. For several hours we talked about art while walking through the museum and school. Jessica made sure I saw the student art show after we visited the ‘Beyond the Paint: Philadelphia’s Mural Arts‘ exhibition. We chatted about the murals and I told her stories and anecdotes about the mural artists I know. But the student art show really opened my eyes to what’s going on at the nation’s first museum and school of fine arts. I discovered it’s not all formal portraits, still life paintings and landscapes; the students are experimenting in abstraction, conceptual art, sculpture, art installations and even, wait for it, video and photography. My fears were erased and now I can’t wait to visit again. After our museum tour, Jessica escorted me to the art school and we visited her art studio on the eighth floor.

Jessica Libor‘s studio is on the south east corner of the building with views of the Convention Center and Philadelphia City Hall. The sun streamed in the windows and illuminated her studio with warm light, the walls filled with works in progress and finished paintings, a vase of flowers echoed the romanticism of her artwork. Libor is a fan of Jean-Honoré Fragonard, a French painter and print-maker from the late 1700′s whose work is known for it’s remarkable brushwork and depiction of hedonistic pleasure. One of his most famous paintings is L’Escarpolette (The Swing), an engaging and delightful painting of a beautiful girl swaying high in a swing dangling from a tree, suiters and voyeurs vying for her affections or an up-skirt peek is one of her inspirations.

Jessica Libor‘s paintings are romantic, too, but with a contemporary sensibility reflecting the difficulty of youthful modern love. The characters in her paintings are beautiful yet seem to be separated by an elusive distance, often gazing contemplatively away from each other. The silver leaf applied to the canvas then tinted with oils creates a glow through the sky holes in the trees accentuating the mottled light on the summery lawn. Her oil medium is primarily turps with linseed but she also will layer with Liquin when the oils start to glaze. The resulting artwork is lush with painterly layers of color, romantic stories and lyrical compositions looking to the past for inspiration yet forward thinking with intellectual concepts.

Jessica Libor, Visual Artist

Jessica Libor, Visual Artist, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Attainment, 4′ x 6′, painting in progress, oil and genuine silver leaf on canvas, 2014, detail.

Anticipating my questions, the artist took the time to write to me and explain her point of view. In her final months as a Master of Fine Arts student, her language and grasp of communicating artistic ideals is eloquent and concise. If you’ve ever talked with a PAFA artist they have a way of explaining their work in words and concepts that are pointed and lucid. Jessica explained to me that periodically the students display their work in a large conference room and then must defend their art to their peers and critics with as many as 125 people in the room. The experience of overcoming this daunting challenge prepares the artist to communicate their concepts and techniques.

Jessica Libor, Visual Artist

Jessica Libor, Visual Artist, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Attainment, 4′ x 6′, painting in progress, oil and genuine silver leaf on canvas, 2014, detail

What medium(s) do you work in?

“I work primarily as an oil painter, but also gild precious metals like 23karat gold and genuine silver into the details or background of my paintings.I also create videos and installations. These have been more recent ventures, but have been really enjoyable extensions of my work, with different possibilities than painting.”

What is the subject of your artwork?

“Experiences of beauty. Everyone has them. Say you’re at a ballet, and it’s that moment when the music, the movements of the dancers, and the aesthetics all combine to take your breath away, and you forget everything else. It can happen when you’re listening to your favorite song, reach the top of a mountain, have a spiritual encounter, or fall in love. It’s different for everyone, but it’s that psychological experience that I’m trying to make visual.”

Jessica Libor, Visual Artist

Jessica Libor, Visual Artist, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Attainment, 4′ x 6′, painting in progress, oil and genuine silver leaf on canvas, 2014

What issues does your latest body of work deal with?

This particular body of work, from 2013-2014 (during my second year of graduate school), deals with ideas of romance and the tensions between men and women, from a female perspective. A lot of the work has been in a dreamy garden retreat that seems like a stage perfectly set, but something perhaps is a little bit off in paradise. It’s because we’re human, we’re flawed. Perhaps I’m dealing with the idea that even in the most ideal of circumstances, it’s within human nature to make things imperfect in some way.”

What are some things that inspire or influence you?

“Classical music, contemporary music, ballet, theatre, films, everyday life experiences, literature, poetry, and other artists. Historical artistic influences include John Millais, Jean-Honoré Fragonard, Edgar Degas and John William Waterhouse, and current artists that I admire are Julie Heffernan, Pippolita Rist, Brad Kunkle, and Jocelyn Hobbie. Literature, stories, myths, legends and lore play a big part in my narrative work. Ballet and the stage have a big impact on the way that I think about my work, as well.”

Jessica Libor, Visual Artist

Jessica Libor, Visual Artist, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Suspended, 2014, oil and genuine silver leaf on canvas, 20″ x 16″

How do you begin a piece?

“An idea. They come in a flash—like in the cartoons when a light bulb goes off over your head! Then a sketch…my sketchbook is full of ideas I just haven’t gotten to yet. What are some of the reasons that you get excited about painting? Painting has no limitations in its ability to create illusion. You can create whole alternate worlds, hopefully believable enough that the viewer will be absorbed into it.”

Jessica Libor, Visual Artist

Jessica Libor, Visual Artist, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts

What do you hope the viewer will feel or think when they see your work?

“I hope that it takes them to a place of helpless belief in the experience of beauty represented—if only for a moment. I also would like it if they felt a longing to be part of the picture—step into it. And I hope they go away challenged and uplifted. Because life does give us these moments of beauty, though they’re fleeting and imperfect. The intensity of the detail in my work, and also the use of precious metals, are actually very conscious conceptual decisions that reflect the permanent, high-value nature of a memory once it has been made.”

Where would you categorize your art to fit into the “art world?”

“I’m not too worried about that now. But I hope to be able to align my self with galleries and organizations that can embrace and really get behind my vision and multi-disciplinary approach. If I could present my work in an environment that allows it to breathe, and is accessible to people to experience, that would make me happy. I’ve seen a few exhibitions like that in Chelsea, NY, and I really like the way that when presented right, different mediums can actually complement each other.”

Jessica Libor, Visual Artist

Jessica Libor, Visual Artist, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts

Describe some interesting technical details abut the making of your work.

“In my paintings, getting models, finding a location and costuming are all important parts of creating the painting. I try to have the models recreate the idea in my mind. Sometimes they’ll surprise me with something even better than my original idea. When it comes to paint application and gilding, it’s all about layering glazes.”

Jessica Libor, Visual Artist

Jessica Libor, Visual Artist, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts

Relate a transformative experience which tells us something about your work or why you became an artist.

“When I was a small child, I would play under the huge oak trees in the backyard with my sister and the neighbor kids. We would make little villages at the base of the trees made out of tiny twigs, mud, and moss. We called them fairy huts. It was like if we created them well enough and made the environment perfect for them, the fairies would come. This same sense of magic creation of an immersive environment is very important in my work today. And maybe, if I do it right, it’ll be real in my viewer’s minds…if only for a moment.” – Jessica Libor

Jessica Libor‘s art blog details her exploration into installation art as well as her paintings. ”Tender Missive was an interactive installation that involved over 450 diverse love letters from men throughout the century such as Edgar Allen Poe, John Keats, Richard Steele, Lord Nelson, Byron, Pierre Curie, Alexander Pope, King Solomon, Mozart, Ludwig Beethoven, King Henry the VIII, Benito Mussilini and even Adolph Hitler.” I encourage you to take time to explore the blog and learn more about her artistic pursuits.

I told Jessica I was a little concerned that her career plans were hopeful but not concrete. She explained that in addition to her graduate school studies and duties she works twenty-five hours a week as a makeup artist for Dior cosmetics and that she loves making women beautiful almost as much as making art. Jessica Libor assured me she will invite me to her final exhibition at PAFA, I am truly looking forward to viewing her art collection.

Christian Birmingham’s World of Fantasty

09 Friday Mar 2012

Posted by Jessica Libor in Artist Profiles, Inspiration

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

beautiful art, beautiful paintings of women, christian birmingham, fairy tales, fine art, great illustrators, illustration, inpsiration, jessica libor, light effects in art, pastel art, the little mermaid art, thumbelina art, working with pasels

Christian Birmingham is an illustrator whose work I have long admired.  His talent is obvious in the way he combines color, composition, atmosphere and drama in all of his work, to bring you into a world of fantasy and make it believable.  He has illustrated classic fairy tales such as the Little Mermaid, Sleeping Beauty,, the Snow Queen, and many others.  Although not technically ‘classical fine art’, I find myself very inspired by Birmingham’s work, all done in pastels.  Enjoy!

Women Painting Women

25 Wednesday Jan 2012

Posted by Jessica Libor in Inspiration, Journeys

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Adrienne Stein, Andrea Kowch, beautiful paintings of women, famous female artists, inspiration, Kate Sammons, living female artists, Maria Kreyn, Melissa Forman, Michelle Dunaway, Nadia Lazizi, paintings of girls, paintings of women, realistic paintings, Rebecca Campbell, Robert Lange Gallery, Robert Lange Studios, Robert Lange Studios Fine Art Gallery, Tina Spratt, women painting women

While visiting Charleston, SC this summer with some dear friends, we stopped at the Robert Lange Studios Fine Art Gallery.  Truly a gem of a gallery in the more traditionally touristy town, this gallery represents some of the finest emerging artists.

Robert Lange Studios Fine Art Gallery

Many of the artists represented are graduates of the New York Academy of Art,  the Florence Academy of Art, or have otherwise dedicated their time and resources to refining their craft.

The gallery owners are welcoming, informal, quirky and wildly successful in running the gallery, and were also instrumental in the popular blog Women Painting Women.  Take a look at some of the emerging and established artists that they have featured on the blog.  And don’t forget to take a look at the original site!

The Black Dress IV, by Tina Spratt, oil on linen, 26"x26"

Sudden Glance, by Maria Kreyn, oil on canvas

Queen Anne's Lace, by Andrea Kowch, acrylic on canvas, 24"x30"

Shelter by Nadia Lazizi, oil on linen, 24"x28"

In Her Thoughts, by Michelle Dunaway, oil on linen, 20"x30"

Under the Apple Tree, by Adrienne Stein, oil on mahogany, 28"x40"

The Crowning of Nightfall, by Melissa Forman, oil on panel, 14"x16"

Lisa, by Rebecca Campbell, oil on canvas, 2006

Portrait of Emma, by Kate Sammons, oil on panel, 11"x14"

Adrienne Stein

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 243 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

  • 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
  • The happy artist: an oxymoron?
    The happy artist: an oxymoron?
  • The Strengths of the Feminine Artist
    The Strengths of the Feminine Artist

Archives

Listen to the Podcast

[convertkit form=5087986]

Powered by WordPress.com.