))
Episode 32: Conversation with mixed media artist, Bibby Gignilliat
Manage episode 342438486 series 3399593
Content provided by Valerie Allen and Armin Mersmann, Valerie Allen, and Armin Mersmann. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Valerie Allen and Armin Mersmann, Valerie Allen, and Armin Mersmann or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://player.fm/legal.
After following California artist, Bibby Gignilliat on Instagram, Val reached out to her for a possible interview. We were thrilled when she agreed! During the afternoon conversation-morning for her- we had a complete discussion of her creative art process, her studio in the ICB Building in Sausalito, California and her mentors. Bibby (rhymes with Libby) Gignilliat (sounds like Gin a lot!) is a thoughtful enthusiastic artist who is generous with her knowledge and sources. Bibby is fun loving in spirit and all business when it comes to her art. Her background in marketing is a gift and we learned a lot from her in this taping. She teaches mixed media workshops in her studio and also online. Go to her instagram page at @bibbygart to see her wonderful abstract artworks.
About Bibby
Turning her adult creative talents toward cooking, Bibby became a marketing manager for Williams-Sonoma, and then decided to go to culinary school. From there she offered interactive cooking classes which evolved into the company, Parties That Cook, with satellite office in Chicago, Seattle and Portland. The business was successful, but Bibby had an epiphany when, as a panelist at the Sloan School of Management at MIT. She heard her company described as a “lifestyle business.” I realized I had been pushing so hard, that I had left my own lifestyle behind. And I had forgotten what I liked to do.” And what she liked to do was paint.
Coming full circle, Bibby sold the business and shifted her focus to becoming a full-time mixed media artist, living and working in Sausalito, CA. She is unconstrained by the formal training of art school and has studied with Nicholas Wilton, Michael Cutlip, Michael Shemchuk, Mark Eanes, Heather Wilcoxon, Leslie Allen, Louise Victor and Carl Heyward.
Artist Statement
Each day as I step into my studio, I am entering a playground – a workout for taking risks, letting go of attachments, and experimenting with new ideas. The materials are guiding me. A letter to the tooth fairy, a One Way road sign, or a billboard scrap foraged in San Francisco all make their way into the work and are a reflection of my interior life. My spirit laughs out loud at the freedom of breaking the rules and drawing outside of the lines. I’m not sure who is in charge – my art or me. The process is alchemical, magical, and joyful. The maverick/rebel is encouraged while the perfectionist is given a time-out. The result is a pure reflection of my heart. In 2021, my work was chosen for the DeYoung Open at the DeYoung Museum. It is available through my studio, Sloan Miyasato Fine Art, through Slate Contemporary in Oakland and through the Portland Art Gallery in Portland, Maine.
Here are some links for you to explore:
Bibby Gignilliat Website: Bibbyart.com
ICB Building in Sausalito, California
Bibby has attended artist residencies and mentorships with the following artists:
Gallery in Maine that recently added Bibby to their group of artists. Portland Art Gallery
Thank you, Bibby, for sharing your art journey with us on Art Ladders Podcast.
79 episodes
Share
