The Art of Libby & Katie Whipple

A paintbrush or charcoal is all they need: The Art of Libby & Katie Whipple

A colorfully autumnal visual experience awaits those who visit the Library's Mary Bishop Memorial Art Gallery during the month of September. In this Mother-Daughter Exhibit of mother Libby Whipple, an Avon, Indiana attorney, and daughter Katie Whipple, an Avon High School junior, will astound you. Their interpretive, intuitive, passionate depictions of people in charcoal and oil paint are simply amazing, as are their creators!

Having grown up around art and artists, Katie G. Whipple has been drawing and painting ever since she can remember. Fellow exhibitor and Mom, Libby Whipple, became Katie's painting teacher when Katie was very young. "Whatever Mom did", Katie says, "she did it right because I am completely hooked on art! I have found my passion and intend to integrate it into my life forever".

Katie has experimented with many different forms of art, but now focuses primarily on painting and drawing. Currently a junior at Avon High School, Katie crams as many art classes into her schedule as possible each year and tries to experience as much artistically as well. "Variety is very important", Katie says, "for it expands the inspiration base and teaches that ideas can come from anything or anywhere.

Her subject of choice, at present, is drawing or painting figures or portraits with charcoal or oil paint. She finds figures and portraits challenging and extremely fascinating at the same time. She believes she is able to express feelings and evoke emotions better through drawing and painting people than through objects.

Musicians and members of her favorite bands are often the subject of Katie's art, for their music is her inspiration. Emotions brought to the surface while listening to the beauty they create musically, inspires Katie to create that same beauty artistically in charcoal or oil paint.

Art in all forms is the focus of Katie's life. She loves to paint and hopes and plans to include art in her future, although she has no idea where she is going with it. After high school, Art School is on the agenda, anything more than that, changes weekly. With young exuberance, Katie explains how excited she is about her future and just hopes it will involve oil paint!

While growing up, Elizabeth "Libby" Givan Whipple's dad told her, "Most people can't do most things, so find what you can do and do it well." Libby took his advice and found her life's passion in her art. Thoroughly enjoying the process, she has discovered that when you love learning about something, with time, you naturally become better at it.

Libby began painting over twenty years ago while in law school. Today when people hear that she used to be an attorney, they are surprised because to them art and law seem very different. For Libby, however, the two fields share some very important similarities. Both require technical knowledge and even more importantly, the ability to communicate an idea.
With each painting Libby hopes to communicate an idea or feeling, which may be the innocence of childhood or, as evidenced by the beauty of a sunset, how magnificent our world is.

Artists who continue to inspire her include John Singer Sergeant, Cecilia Beaux, artist and philosopher Robert Henri, Alla Prima's author Richard Schmid and a young California artist, Jeremy Lipking. These artists have had a powerful impact on Libby and how she sees life. In studying their work, she is at once humbled and inspired to find her own voice, her own greatness.

In a special portrait of Katie, entitled To My Daughter, Libby tries to distill her philosophy of life and art. This painting was published in the January 2006 issue of International Artist magazine as a finalist in the magazine's portraits and figures competition. In the painting, Katie is reading a note written by her mother. The note states: "Embrace reason and all that naturally flows from it. Immerse yourself in knowledge. Believe in goodness, and allow that belief to manifest itself in action-giving back more than you take-seeking not to judge, but to understand". "The duo purpose of the painting and poem", Libby says, "is to celebrate the beauty of life and to keep on striving for her own greatness". In so doing, she hopes to inspire others to do the same and encourages all to celebrate their life and find their OWN greatness.

You will feel as though you have made new friends through art after enjoying this delightful FAMILY AFFAIR Exhibit at the CDPL Gallery. See you there!