Libby Anderson — currently on Instagram as @was_libbybob — is an amazing artist whose old Instagram account (@libbybob) was recently stolen by bitcoin hackers who are trying to make her followers believe that she is asking them invest in bitcoin. She is working to get this issue resolved through Instagram, but there is no way to recover her 20K followers. So she’s having to rebuild under her new account name.
I thought you might like to join me in helping right this wrong! So let me tell you a little about her.
Libby Fleming Anderson was raised in a military family and lived in many places growing up – Florida, England, Maine, Arkansas, Mississippi & Tennessee. No matter where she called home, the one constant in her life was art. She knew from an early age that she wanted to be an artist.
She earned a B.F.A at Mississippi University for Women in Commercial Art and Art Education. This formal training prepared her for a career as an elementary art teacher (grades K-8). I bet she was a wonderfully inspiring art teacher, passing along encouragement to budding creatives. But — thankfully for us — she also invested in her own artistic practice.
Initially, Libby chose watercolors as the medium for her fine art work. To strengthen her craft, she studied under renowned artists Frank Webb, Carla O’Connor and Margaret Martin. When she decided to focus on oil painting, she took lessons locally and attended workshops with Dreama Tolle Perry, Carol Marine and Karen O’Neil. She learned from each of these artistic influences, ultimately finding her own unique style as a colorist.
Flowers are a major focus of Libby’s work, and for years the Instagram Algorithm gods blessed me because Libby’s posts always seemed to show up first in my feed when I logged in every morning. Each day I would be greeted by the happiest riot of colorful blooms that just made me feel joyful. What a way to start the day! I was always inspired. (And then someone stole her IG identity, so I’m feeling a bit feisty about that! My joy quotient took a hit.)
Today, no longer teaching, Libby is able to paint every day. She is a member of the DailyPaintworks community and a Star Artist in the Memphis Germantown Art League.
Art is definitely a way of life for her. When she’s not in the studio, Libby finds herself observing life around her and “painting in her head.”
She says that the message she would give to aspiring artists is to find their own style by working every day. She believes that it’s in the discipline of practice that our personal style finally emerges. She also wants emerging artists to relax and look for the joy and excitement of creating.
One of Libby’s gifts is that she embodies that joy and excitement and shares it with the world through her artwork. I’m so grateful that she continues to post on Instagram — I am blessed by her passion for creating.
How You Can Be an Encouragement
Please check out Libby’s work on Instagram, follow her (and help her rebuild her online network), and send her a note of encouragement today.
Instagram: @was_libbybob
Website: Libby Anderson at DailyPaintworks