Lilibeth André, a representational and impressionist
artist working to preserve culture and environment through art. Classically training, she
begins her artwork with a drawing or sketch, particularly when working
with portraits. "Some genres allow me more freedom to build the work
as it evolves", she said, "but much thought goes into each
piece before I begin to paint." She uses water-soluble oils since
1999 to avoid the use of solvents. Her previous works also include
acrylics, watercolor, and her technical training is evident in more controlled pieces using colored pencil.
Getting An Education
After running her own fashion business "out of her trunk" as
a teen, she left an
exciting marketing position with an international cosmetics
firm to receive a technical degree in design at the Centro de Estudios
Tecnologicos 55 in Coyoacan, Mexico. "In building my design models I
also learned to use acrylics, enamels, and colored pencil." She also enjoyed
clay modeling, photography and various dance forms. "Mexican folk
dance helped me reconnect with my roots.
Between classes and her part-time job with an architectural and design
firm, she learned the use of oil and
watercolor paint. Her first exhibition was in 1980. "The design
school was next door to the art school", she said. "It was like
being at the candy store."
Being Like A Sponge
After working her way through design school under the mentoring support of
Mexico City architects, artists, and designers, the experience landed her
the challenging position of directing special projects, administration, operations, marketing, and
purchasing for a local design firm prior to graduation. She gave back
through a year of social practice as a
photographer for the audio-visual department of the Delegacion de Coyoacan,
and she completed a six month professional practice project designing modular furniture for public housing
complexes built by the national housing
institute. The demanding lifestyle in one of the top cities in the world
directed her steps to a life-long learning of wholistic healing.
How It All Began
A third generation artist, she was born in Cuernavaca, Mexico and her kinder years were in an
artistic environment of song, dance, art, and play. She received her
primary education in private school in Illinois and public school in
California. Besides Cuernavaca and Mexico City, she has lived and worked
in Arizona, Michigan, California and Texas.
Making Better Communities
Her work experience includes public administration launching,
promoting, and managing municipal programs in household hazardous waste, recycling,
air quality, transit, aviation, and alternative forms of transportation.
She currently works to support the advancement of academic sustainable development
research.
Continued Training & An Epiphany
After finding time to complete various writing courses in children's
literature, she continued her education and received a BBA. Juggling these
"extra-curricular" activities while maintaining a full-time
career helped her realize she had 'plenty
of time' to be "a fulltime artist in a part-time schedule". When
asked how she can do it she smiles and says, "It's
an investment in my retirement".
This investment includes the ongoing weekly study and practice of painting and drawing. Since
1992, Lilibeth has studied painting under various Houston artists including Jo
Mullendore, Nikki Szeto, Bruce Williamson, and William Kalwick, Jr. She
has said on numerous occasions, "I believe painting is like playing a
guitar, the more you practice, the better you get". Her work begins
to receive recognition and has been shown in San Antonio, Fredericksburg,
Galveston, Rockport, Sugar Land, Bellaire, and Houston, Texas and Mexico
City. In November
2008, she opened an artist's studio. The studio is
located in The Galleria area of Houston.
Her work includes portraits, figure, landscapes, wildlife, still life
and surrealist works. "Each piece I produce teaches me something new
and the following piece incorporates the compounded knowledge and
skill", she said.
"I believe art mastery is a cumulative effort garnered from our
experience gained over time and practice".
See her work.
