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!
I have two available works that will be on display in The New Pre-Raphaelites: Illumination, curated by Kerry Dunn through Era Contemporary Gallery. This is a huge group exhibition with over 40 artworks and 26 artists participating!
Era Contemporary Gallery is proud to announce a new partner in this year’s virtual exhibition of The New Pre-Raphaelites: Illumination! The Delaware Museum of Art, which is home to one of the largest collections of original Pre-Raphaelite art in America, is now involved!
The Delaware Museum of Art will be promoting the show as well as the director of the museum, Molly Giordano, spoke at the virtual opening where I have 2 of my artworks on display.
Now in its second year, “The New Pre-Raphaelites” is a group exhibition organized by Era Contemporary Gallery. This year, we add “Illumination” to inspire artists to interpret their contemporary vision of the original Pre-Raphaelites. This group exhibition includes the following artists:
Adina Yoon, Alayne Sahar, Aleksandra Katargina, Ariane Kamps, Ana Sanchez, Benjamin Shamback, Brenda Robson, Bryan Willette, Cecelia Cox, Colleen Smith, Cornelia Hernes, Courtney Scheingraber, Cristy Dunn, Danielle Rackowski, David Heshmatpour, Fred Wessel, Ilana Ellis, Jessica Libor, Jonathan MacGregor, Julianne Jonker, Kathleen Carr, Kerry Dunn, Leah Mitchell, Lisa Hendrickson, Lorenzo Narciso, Luis Alvarez Roure, Maria Christina Jimenez, Morgan Dummitt, Nancy Bea Miller, Sharon Pomales Tousey, Terra Chapman, Victoria Koursaros, and Zara Kand
Illumination has many meanings, but for this exhibition the artists interpret the word Illumination as it inspires their work. Illumination may refer to the awakening of one’s own personal insights, a spiritual transformation, or a historical reference to the illuminated manuscripts found in ancient holy texts during the Medieval Dark Ages, spanning 400-1400 BC. These ideas were also used as inspiration by the original pre-Raphaelites, a self-titled group of English artists during the mid 1800s to early 1900s that wanted to paint the natural world and heartfelt stories that included myth, legend, magic, and faith. This is the second iteration of The New Pre-Raphaelites exhibitions hosted by Era Contemporary Gallery.
Illumination in art history originally refers to the use of gold or silver leaf to embellish a page in a book, so that the words literally appear illuminated by changing light. The practice usually involved the painting in brilliant colors, elaborate designs and miniature illustrations. The work for this show may refer to the sudden burst of creativity and inspiration, a decision in life that leads to great insight, a transformative experience, and also the aesthetic choices that embrace gold leaf, and glowing, spiritual, or magical imagery.
About the curator:
The guest curator for this exhibition is Philadelphia artist Kerry Dunn. Kerry is part of a movement of new masters that has sought to reclaim the methodologies of the old masters, almost completely lost during the 20th century. This movement is in large part due to the atelier system, small studio schools each led by a master painter, that have been on the rise since the mid 90s around the world. Studio Incamminati in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, is one of these such schools; where Kerry studied between 2003–2008 with renowned portrait painter Nelson Shanks. Kerry now teaches at the school. Kerry’s work is firmly rooted in the academic traditions of painting from life as practiced by the old masters. Kerry feels most drawn to the art of portrait painting where characters are cast upon a stage and narrative is inevitable; and, the ever elusive challenge of creating a master work.
Artwork from left to right on banner image: Left, by Luis Alvarez Roure, center, by Danielle Rackowski, and right, by Adina Yoon. All pieces in the exhibition are for sale including these three. Please email eracontemproary@gmail.com for inquiries.
I’m so excited to share with you that my 4th museum exhibit this year will be happening soon, at the Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art.
My piece “Transformation” will be exhibited in the November 4th through December 31st 5th Annual National Juried Exhibition selected by Juror Peter Trippi, Editor in Chief at Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine, at the Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art. I am beyond honored and thrilled to be exhibiting in this beautiful space with some amazing artists! “Transformation” is an original oil on canvas, 72″ x 36″ inch gallery wrapped painting that is available. If you are interested in acquiring the original, please email me at jlibor@jessicalibor.com and I can connect you to the museum.
Thank you so much for coming along this journey with me! It is a very exciting year as I begin to show in museums and I am excited to take you along with me!
As my collectors, this means for you that every time I show in museums, the value of my art grows as my work gains more publicity and notoriety. Every time I exhibit in museums, your investment that you have made in my career continues to grow. Thank you to every one of you!
I’m so thrilled to share with you that two of my works, “Wild Things” and “The White Deer,” have been included in the 2021 Iridescence exhibition curated by Bradley Sumrall at the Louisiana Art and Science Museum. About Iridescence, from the museum:
“Iridescence is found throughout the natural world, on butterfly wings, fish scales, bird features, and also in man-made materials such as paint, fabric, and plastic. A captivating sight, iridescence is still being studied by scientists today who seek to further understand the interaction between light, movement, and microscopic structures that is responsible for iridescence. Similarly, artists are exploring iridescence to discover new ways to incorporate the rainbow-like phenomenon into their work. “
The shimmering colors and use of gold and silver leaf in my pieces above show an iridescent fantasia.
This is a gorgeous exhibition and you can see the rest of the show online here!
One of my biggest desires this year and going forward is to be in more museum shows, so this was amazing to hear!
These two pieces in the museum show are available for collecting. Please email me at jlibor@jessicalibor.com if you would be interested in either piece!
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.
Do you ever feel like it is selfish of you to strive for success as an artist?
Believe me, I’ve felt the unspoken judgement of wanting to climb the ladder of artistic success so much that I believed it was wrong of me to want it. Especially as a female, it was expected that I wouldn’t be quite as ambitious as the male artists around me. And if I was, I was selfish for wanting more, or agressive. Sound familiar?
Success can mean more money, selling your work for high prices, being affiliated with more high end exhibitions, getting more press, more autonomy with your time, or any number of markers that you set for your self.
Whatever your goals for artistic success and stardom, most of us dream of reaching some level of acclaim, which translates rewards that are not just tangible. In fact, we aren’t actually after the tangible things at all. Let’s take a look at two of the markers of success and what they give us intangibly.
Money: when we get more money, especially a lot of it, there is less worry about being able to cover the bills. There is also less stress about having to, say, work at a day job you don’t like, feeling like you are draining your life away and counting the hours until you can leave. So, the intangible benefits of money that we are really after are 1. the feeling of security and safety, and 2. The freedom to do what we want with our time, and hence, our lives.
Press and High End Exhibitions, or Acclaim: when we are written about in the press in glowing terms, or are included in an exhibition with well respected peers, or given a big solo show by a high end gallery, this translates into a feeling of respect. Respect for us, respect for our work, and it’s the world saying “Your work matters”. This feels good because we all want our work and lives to matter and to contribute positively to the world. So the payoff for acclaim is feeling worthy and respected.
It’s not bad to want to reach a level of success as an artist. All this means is that you are striving for security, freedom, and respect within your life—and to soar as high as you can go. Also consider how good can be done by successful people with a kind heart. If you have a lot of monetary success, fame, or acclaim, you have the power to donate money to great causes, and have a platform that people will listen to. Your art will be seen by many and so can inspire and give hope to many more people than if you were not well known. And, monetarily, you will not have to be dependent on others to care for you, instead you will be able to provide for yourself, your family, and future generations, which is a massive gift that truly changes lives.
You can also stand up to your fullest height and execute your most ambitious, creative visions because you have wealth and support, that would never happen if you were struggling.
So, when you find yourself feeling guilty for wanting to be successful as an artist, or feeling selfish for wanting the money and acclaim that come with success in the art world, check yourself! Because I would flip that script and say it is actually the most selfless thing you can do to pursue success in the arts, whatever that means to you.
Let me know how this landed with you, I’d love to hear from you. And just so you know, I will be launching my newly filmed and fully automated signature course, Artist Soul Mastery Academy, in March. You can join the waitlist now.
I’m very excited to share that I will have a solo exhibition in April called WILDLOVE!
This will be an all new collection of artworks I’m currently making. It will be different in many ways than anything I’ve made before. I will be giving you glimpses into my process as I create the pieces, but the actual work will be a secret only to be unveiled during the virtual exhibition!
I invite you to register for the special virtual event and read more about it by clicking the button below! Those who register will get a hand-signed postcard of a show image signed by the artist and mailed to your address.
This week, I began a magical piece involving spiky pink cactii flowers, the palest violet shades, and a lady and her wildcat for WILDLOVE. I also finished my #21visions challenge, which was to create 21 small ink pieces during the month of January.
Fragonard’s Garden, ink and watercolor on paper, 9 “x 12”, by Jessica Libor 2021
These new ink pieces are now photographed and you can browse and purchase them by clicking the button below!
I also recorded a new episode on The Inspired Painter podcast, about how the accumulation of our efforts creates success. Have a listen by clicking here!
Have a wonderful weekend, and sending you light, love and creativity.
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!
