Today we’d like to introduce you to Anne Labaire.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
From the moment that first Crayon was placed in my chubby little hand, I knew I would grow up to be an artist. I have studied and experimented with various art forms and materials my entire life. I continually gravitate to favorites: acrylic paints, mixed media, monotypes, and combinations of those.
Painting, however, took a 20-year detour. I was fortunate to marry an accomplished professional potter. Ron Labaire taught me a new set of skills. I soon quit my day job and together we created and sold our wares to galleries throughout the country. I loved the creative life! Self-employment is so freeing and so challenging, but also so very rewarding — spiritually and fulfilling.
With the Olympics on the horizon, we were invited by Stone Mountain Park to create a working pottery studio and gallery within the park. Thus, the birth of “Labaire Pottery – a gallery of fine crafts” in 1996. Two years later, when the park changed management, Labaire Pottery relocated to charming historic downtown Norcross. There it became impossible to run a successful gallery while continuing to make quality pottery. Clay and glazes ultimately gave way to paint and canvas.
After more than a dozen years, I retired from the active running of the gallery and turned again to artistic pursuits full-time.
I now have a private studio in my home and a public studio at Norcross Gallery & Studios, 116 Carlyle Street, Norcross, GA.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Any road traveled over the course of a lifetime has a few bumps. Every single real or imagined bump encountered proved to be a step up. When Labaire Pottery lost its location within Stone Mountain Park, we were heartbroken, but we were incredibly fortunate to find a home in charming Historic Norcross. For example, few people visit Stone Mountain Park in December, and we soon discovered what a holiday shopping season could be! Again and again, obstacles and challenges were met with hope, positivity, and hard work. And every time, there was a step up to a new path, new opportunity, new growth, and new insight.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I create from my heart and my imagination. My art doesn’t fit into a nice little package and is difficult to categorize. I’m a process painter. I cherish the journey in creating anything! The destination may be less important, but if there is joy in the journey, it will show. If there is angst in the journey, or sadness, or anxiety, it will be evident in the finale. I always create from my heart and my imagination. Gratefully, most of my art is filled with humor, joy, and gratitude.
I use the artistic building blocks collected over a lifetime to create art that is boldly and fearlessly my own.
Some of my works demonstrate an affinity for bold color, while others are conceived of a limited subtle palette. Visual excitement is created with unique textures, marks, and layers. Often, unconventional tools are utilized in applying and removing paint from the surface. Most works are a mix of the abstract and the concrete — partly recognizable and partly open to the viewer’s interpretations.
What matters most to you? Why?
Connection – to “God” (whatever that may be), to the world around me, to other creatives. etc. Being a part of…. tranquility
Love- all types of friendships
A cozy home
Space to create
Quiet time
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.labaireart.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artyanne/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/labaire.art
