Bibby Gignilliat
Artist
Please introduce yourself and talk a bit about your practice.
I am a mixed media artist with a studio in the historic ICB Building in Sausalito. As a recovering perfectionist I choose to work in mixed media using collage and acrylic because it’s forgiving. I love bold colors, geometric shapes and text which come alive with whimsy on wood panels and paper.
What is the inspiration behind your work?
I often get inspired by a found object like a billboard scraps, a fabric scrap, a shape, or a fun paint color and this can inspire a piece or a body or work. One example is a piece called 434 N. East which was made from wallpaper remnants from my family home where I grew up. A recent body of work was inspired by music posters I found on telephone poles in Berkeley. My color series was inspired by color mixing where I use the same 3 primary colors to mix the 30+ fun colors in a piece.
I see that you host classes and workshops in your studio. Is community building an integral part of your art practice?
That act of creating always builds community and connection among the participants. Many students, like me, were artists when they were young but had a critical parent or teacher. I create a safe place for a “homecoming” of sorts. This experience automatically brings the students closer as they connect with their creativity and share this with other students.
What kind of effect do you want your work to have on people?
According to my clients, my work brings life and joy. It inspires happy feelings like play and whimsy. Life is too short for boring art, especially if you have to look at it every day in your home. I am told, my art makes people feel good!
What is your process like and where does LightSource fit in?
I start each piece with collage and create rich texture by layering paint with papers. I then distress my painting using water and a sander.
LightSource has been a great, service-oriented partner. I use them to capture the rich texture in my work using their hi-tech camera. They then make high-quality prints for me in any size my clients or I desire. I sell these prints at my Open Studios events.
IG: @bibbygart