ABOUT THE ARTIST

Rhonda Libbey, born 1976 in Greenville, Pennsylvania and graduated from art school in Pittsburgh in 1996. Immediately she began professionally illustrating for a wide variety of publishers and private commissioners. Most notable are her accomplishments illustrating science fiction/fantasy books and games, historically accurate illustrations, children's books and magazines, and various materials that aid psychologists in their important work.

"The integrity of the artwork is bound to how well it communicates," she said in an interview, "The fact is, I research my subjects deeply and carefully because details are very important. My work always tells a story and I can't tell you a story I don't know anything about."

Her work sometimes looks simple, sometimes it is complex, but no doubt it is this careful research that makes it so easy for her to fit such a variety of subjects and uses, especially with the tools that psychologists might need! She goes on to say, "...but more than that, I want the viewer to feel connected to what they are seeing. To feel something. So it could be said that my preparation process is not unlike an actor's, sometimes they shadow cops or famous authors to understand the little things about that person they are playing."

Lord of the Rings, A Game of Thrones (A song of Ice and Fire), Call of Cthulhu, Conan, Red Dragon Inn 2, Prophecy, Talisman, Legend of the Five Rings (L5R), Ars Magica, the Drow Wars, a Slayers Guide Compenduim, the Book of Immortals, and her award winning work for Starship Troopers are among the Sci-Fi/ Fantasy publications she has worked on in the past 5 years. Along with an impressive work history, she has exhibited her work in the Guanshanyue Art Museum (Shenzhen, China), and in the USA: the Heinz History Center, Moxie DaDa gallery, Panza Gallery, Art All Night, The Art Institute of Pittsburgh, The Art Institute of Phoenix, The Art Institute of Minneapolis, and Pittsburgh Center for the Arts.

When asked the big question, 'so what's ahead for you in 2009?', she answered, "My work is taking a more and more complex turn of late, complex in the sense that I am having a lot of fun with depicting social interactions and the human condition. I have plans for more historically based art in addition to commissions from old and new active clients. Im thinking... early American history, because the personalities involved and conflicts of our not-so-distant past are so very interesting. Especially the Native Americans. I hope that my work in this area will inspire and help education on the matter."