Meet Artist Libby Fife, Ironstone Spring Obsession accepted artist

Libby Fife – Fine Art

Email: libbyfife@ymail.com

Website: www.libbyfife.com

O-029  Precarious  acrylic  $235

Bio:

Libby Fife earned her B.A. degree in Psychology from Cal State University, Hayward and worked for 17 years in the banking industry. A layoff in 2007 prompted her to reevaluate her path and to have another look at being creative. Traditional quilting worked well for a while and then frustration set in when she had difficulty finding just the right color of fabrics. This led to painting on the fabrics to get the desired results. That process led to painting on canvas and just about the steepest learning curve anyone has ever experienced!  An ongoing effort to learn about design and composition, art history and the language of creativity, and sales and marketing has led Libby to her current level of work. She has sold her work  both in and out of the county where she lives and has exhibited her painting in local shows. Additionally, Libby has taught classes in sketching and color use to beginning/intermediate painters.

Artist Statement:

Simple renditions of complex things: this is how I think of what I love to do as an artist. Much of what I paint reflects my current interests of those things that I see every day. Along with color, I use geometric and organically derived shapes and lines to represent my ideas, interests and feelings. The resulting images are all based somehow on my observations or thoughts. Whether it’s spending time at museum, driving around my area, or going on a walk, the constant input provides the basis for my creative output. Reading and writing helps me to clarify my thoughts. Sketching helps me to come up with representative images. The resulting pieces, I hope, can be enjoyed on many levels: as colorful paintings utilizing lines and geometry; as pieces that somehow resonate with the viewer’s own ideas; or as something that represents what I think and what I get to share with the viewer. Whatever the outcome, the work satisfies me and at the end of the day it is what makes me happiest.

Style is always difficult to pin down. Knowing a little bit about art history and individual artists can be helpful. At this point, I am firmly in the camp of modern abstract art made during the first half of the twentieth century. I owe a huge debt to many artists long gone: Henri Matisse, Stuart Davis, Fernand Leger and Wassily Kandinsky are all favorites.  Many current day artists have also helped me along by showing what is still possible, most notably Shirley Jaffe and Etel Adnan.  It isn’t hard to draw inspiration from people who have paved the way for me. Advice from a few professional artists, the practice of self-reflection, and actively working in the studio nearly every day all help to support the ongoing process of making art.