Botanical Series: Barbara Libby-Steinmann
Creating art is the friend I always return to, to find solace, passion, peace and joy. Choosing the career path of visual arts education and artist has brought many wonderful as well as challenging experiences into my life. I find myself always changing, growing and learning through the arts.
In June 2021, I suffered a brain injury. Little did I know about the struggles and pains I would be facing in the months of my recovery. I turned to art, finding ways to calm my overstimulated nervous system and discovered a silver lining of my brain injury. My creativity became super enhanced and sharp, letting me “see” entire concepts, images and ideas from beginning to finish. My heightened creativity helps me invent solutions to tricky problems that continue to challenge my everyday life.
As a result, my painting process, style and media has changed. Early on in my recovery, setting up a pallet of oil paints like I used to for my landscape painting was not possible. For several months my brain was overwhelmed by color so I gravitated towards drawing small black and white images in ink. It was then when I noticed I no longer needed a preliminary sketch to get me started. As I drew repetitive lines and patterns my brain fog and pain started to ease. Posting these drawings and updates of my recovery on social media channels connected me to a virtual community of brain injury warriors.
Like art, nature is an important element in my life. The wildflowers and nature scenes I admire on my bike rides and walks are my inspiration. One day during my healing journey, I picked up a large brush and a beautiful handbound sketchbook with Japanese mulberry paper pages. My brush flowed in broad strokes over the delicate textured paper with the composition of a flower emerging before my eyes! The gouache and ink spread and sank into the paper leaving marks I was no longer able to alter. Compared to oil painting techniques, I realized this was an unforgiving way to paint. As I continued to experiment painting on the mulberry paper, I discovered a connection to how my brain was healing: learning to accept the things I had no control over.
With acrylic mat medium I mount the mulberry paper on birch wood panels adding a final protective coat of medium over the finished painting. This creates a beautiful, contemporary look where framing of the artwork is not necessary. This new series has been paving the way for my healing to take place through the arts, integrating botanical philosophies and raising awareness for other survivors.
Bio:
Barbara Libby-Steinmann (she,her) lives with her husband in San Geronimo, California. She was born and raised in Switzerland. Barbara, holds a BFA in Visual Merchandising and Illustration and a Visual Arts teaching credential. She has been working in visual arts education for two decades and has received county and statewide recognition for her teaching excellence and curriculum design. Her artwork has been published in editorial and community events and her paintings and drawings have been cherished by private collectors in the United States, Canada and Switzerland. Barbara accepts commissions, for a free consultation, please reach out to her at blibbysteinmann@gmail.com
Creating art is the friend I always return to, to find solace, passion, peace and joy. Choosing the career path of visual arts education and artist has brought many wonderful as well as challenging experiences into my life. I find myself always changing, growing and learning through the arts.
In June 2021, I suffered a brain injury. Little did I know about the struggles and pains I would be facing in the months of my recovery. I turned to art, finding ways to calm my overstimulated nervous system and discovered a silver lining of my brain injury. My creativity became super enhanced and sharp, letting me “see” entire concepts, images and ideas from beginning to finish. My heightened creativity helps me invent solutions to tricky problems that continue to challenge my everyday life.
As a result, my painting process, style and media has changed. Early on in my recovery, setting up a pallet of oil paints like I used to for my landscape painting was not possible. For several months my brain was overwhelmed by color so I gravitated towards drawing small black and white images in ink. It was then when I noticed I no longer needed a preliminary sketch to get me started. As I drew repetitive lines and patterns my brain fog and pain started to ease. Posting these drawings and updates of my recovery on social media channels connected me to a virtual community of brain injury warriors.
Like art, nature is an important element in my life. The wildflowers and nature scenes I admire on my bike rides and walks are my inspiration. One day during my healing journey, I picked up a large brush and a beautiful handbound sketchbook with Japanese mulberry paper pages. My brush flowed in broad strokes over the delicate textured paper with the composition of a flower emerging before my eyes! The gouache and ink spread and sank into the paper leaving marks I was no longer able to alter. Compared to oil painting techniques, I realized this was an unforgiving way to paint. As I continued to experiment painting on the mulberry paper, I discovered a connection to how my brain was healing: learning to accept the things I had no control over.
With acrylic mat medium I mount the mulberry paper on birch wood panels adding a final protective coat of medium over the finished painting. This creates a beautiful, contemporary look where framing of the artwork is not necessary. This new series has been paving the way for my healing to take place through the arts, integrating botanical philosophies and raising awareness for other survivors.
Bio:
Barbara Libby-Steinmann (she,her) lives with her husband in San Geronimo, California. She was born and raised in Switzerland. Barbara, holds a BFA in Visual Merchandising and Illustration and a Visual Arts teaching credential. She has been working in visual arts education for two decades and has received county and statewide recognition for her teaching excellence and curriculum design. Her artwork has been published in editorial and community events and her paintings and drawings have been cherished by private collectors in the United States, Canada and Switzerland. Barbara accepts commissions, for a free consultation, please reach out to her at blibbysteinmann@gmail.com
Vibrant Landscapes Virtual Exhibit
Juried exhibit sponsored by Red Bluff Art Gallery
Finalist and Prizes Category
Click link below to enter gallery:
https://www.emaze.com/@AOQWWTIWF/prizes--finalists?autoplay&fbclid=IwAR0sZI8gGOFAOgnNcHwvK1XTsuFSuVpV_bnQ--k0n-dnMie4Y6F3gbMti_o
Finalist and Prizes Category
Click link below to enter gallery:
https://www.emaze.com/@AOQWWTIWF/prizes--finalists?autoplay&fbclid=IwAR0sZI8gGOFAOgnNcHwvK1XTsuFSuVpV_bnQ--k0n-dnMie4Y6F3gbMti_o
Better Together/Racial Justice T-Shirt Artwork
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“We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of this tapestry are equal in value no matter their color.” - Maya Angelou Many artists create work that intersects with political activism and social justice causes. Throughout history, art has been used as an accessible tool for communication, raising awareness about social issues and affecting positive change. My personal artwork is a natural way of expressing my ideas about how I see the world, through shapes, lines, textures and colors. Exploring social justice subjects in my personal artwork is a new and scary territory. I have immersed myself in reading about social justice, have joined a book club formed by colleagues and I have been serving on the Marin County Social Justice Curriculum Writing Group. This work has truly been eye opening for me. While self-reflecting, I feel shame and outrage at my own complicity with racism and what continues to go in the USA, the world, and here in Marin County, and have been processing this deep understanding and self-study through visual responses. I created the “Love Not Hate'' artwork through moments of struggle, frustration, confusion, hope and love. With this artwork I strive to share my passion of educating students, to help them speak their truths and to foster growing ideas that we’re better together as we create stamina to shape our communities and the world. By all means, I am not an expert in leading others through challenging topics like racial and social justice, but I am willing to try. I am willing to show my vulnerability. I am using the organic language of visual arts to communicate, to spark conversations and to advocate for change and equality. With my art partner printmaker, Anna Rochester we believe we are Better Together. We created mini video lessons based on the 6 Elements of Social Justice Curriculum Design and our personal artworks to help jumpstart conversations in your classrooms. This first set of videos explores: Element 1: Self Love and Knowledge and, Element 2: Respect for Others. This work continues as we create more video lessons to tap into Elements 3-4. Links to the videos and playlist are here: Social Justice Instruction Videos Please feel free to explore these videos with your students. Thank you for your support. Warmly, Barbara Libby-Steinmann |
Community ArtsKitchen
Mission Statement
Community ArtsKitchen is an idea developed by Barbara Libby-Steinmann and Anna Rochester to deliver hands-on art making activities for people of all ages to do. The activities are designed to be simple and easy to follow that require supplies that are typically found in a home. The first sessions were conducted in person as workshops in their local community. Because of the COVI19 pandemic, the lessons are now delivered on the Community ArtsKitchen Youtube Channel and Facebook page. Please subscribe!
Barbara Libby-Steinmann is an award winning arts educator and artist. Her 15 plus years of service in the visual arts education field has a lasting impact on her community and the students she serves. Anna Rochester is an artist and a former K-12 certified art teacher and has worked in the museum education field for 15 years. Barbara and Anna are co-founders of Community ArtsKitchen and they are art mentors for students and in their community. Both recognize the importance of integrating art into schools' curricula and people's daily lives to enhance life and learning. Barbara and Anna have been addressing social justice topics through a series of thematic videos expressing emotions and feelings through art. These videos may be used by teachers and parents to spark a conversation about social justice and show how art making can be used as a tool to express feelings and emotions.
Community ArtsKitchen is an idea developed by Barbara Libby-Steinmann and Anna Rochester to deliver hands-on art making activities for people of all ages to do. The activities are designed to be simple and easy to follow that require supplies that are typically found in a home. The first sessions were conducted in person as workshops in their local community. Because of the COVI19 pandemic, the lessons are now delivered on the Community ArtsKitchen Youtube Channel and Facebook page. Please subscribe!
Barbara Libby-Steinmann is an award winning arts educator and artist. Her 15 plus years of service in the visual arts education field has a lasting impact on her community and the students she serves. Anna Rochester is an artist and a former K-12 certified art teacher and has worked in the museum education field for 15 years. Barbara and Anna are co-founders of Community ArtsKitchen and they are art mentors for students and in their community. Both recognize the importance of integrating art into schools' curricula and people's daily lives to enhance life and learning. Barbara and Anna have been addressing social justice topics through a series of thematic videos expressing emotions and feelings through art. These videos may be used by teachers and parents to spark a conversation about social justice and show how art making can be used as a tool to express feelings and emotions.
Marin County Teacher of the Year and California Teacher of the Year Finalist
Barbara Libby-Steinmann, receives the Marin County Teacher of the Year award from Superintendent of Schools Mary Jane Burke at Bacich Elementary School in Kentfield.
http://www.marinij.com/social-affairs/20170828/kentfield-art-teacher-gets-top-honor-from-county
http://digital.marinmagazine.com/marinmagazine/december_2017?pg=40#pg40
2018 California Teacher of the Year
Out of more than 300,000 K-12 grade teachers in California Barbara Libby-Steinmann was recognized top teacher and award the title California Teacher of the Year Finalist.
Bacich Elementary School Art Teacher Barbara Libby-Steinmann was recognized Marin County Teacher of the Year and the only Northern California candidate of the 12 finalists for California Teacher of the Year 2018. Barbara was honored at the Marin County Golden Bell awards in May 2018. In her Visual Arts classroom she has integrated math, science, history, and language arts into all of her art curriculum, and her influence has infused art into the teaching of all Bacich teachers. Our community can see a wonderful example of her cross-disiciplinary collaboration when passing the newly-installed Bacich Community Art Fence while driving down Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. This year-long project features student art pieces, created from recycled products, that represent our local environment and history.
Bacich Community Art Fence Installation.mov
Bacich Community Art Fence Installation.mov
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Commission for San Francisco General Hospital Foundation, Hearts in San Francisco 2018, Mini Heart Series
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BARBARA LIBBY-STEINMANN ― A painter and art educator, Barbara spends her days teaching K-4th grade art at Bacich Elementary School in Kentfield. She was honored as the Marin County Teacher of the Year and California Teacher of the Year Finalist for the 2017/18 school year. Raised on a dairy farm in Switzerland, the foundation was built for Barbara’s deep connection with nature and the land. Today, she captures nature’s beauty on her canvas —trusting her instincts, staying fresh, and simplifying essential shapes and lines, moving towards the abstract yet never completely losing touch with the essential details. Her color palette is vibrant, with the use of complementary colors to give her paintings subtle movement. For her Heart series, Barbara chose the famed wild parrots of Telegraph Hill for her design, intrigued by the story of the red-headed, green-bodied birds that became a San Francisco tourist attraction. She loves to paint cats and birds, and in theme with a “A Tribute to San Francisco,” the parrots were the perfect motive and inspiration for her.
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Marin Independent Journal and Pacific Sun Articles
Kentfield teacher offers heartfelt tribute to SF
http://www.marinij.com/lifestyle/20171018/kentfield-teacher-offers-heartfelt-tribute-to-sf
Share the Love
https://pacificsun.com/arts-share-love/
http://www.marinij.com/lifestyle/20171018/kentfield-teacher-offers-heartfelt-tribute-to-sf
Share the Love
https://pacificsun.com/arts-share-love/