LiesePfeifer Artblog

What would happen if we all had a personal mission statement and lived by it.

2011-09-26T06:48:00.000-07:00

I have been in business management (arts related) for most of my working life. I have in depth familiarity with strategic planning sessions, mission statements and employee training. It is common to think of an employee; while you are here (at work) your actions should all support the mission statement of the organization. At work, this is so clear to me. So why at home do I stray?

I am buffeted by house work, yard work and supporting others in their mission. In fact, when my family was intact, my mission was supporting others, or so it appeared for a time. I ask myself to think through what is my mission statement? Can I actually put myself first, like the instructions on the airplane do when instructing us to put your air mask on before you help another?

If I came out of my Mom as a seed, and have spent a life time of growing, what have I become. It’s not like I will change what that seed is. It has always been the same. It is that this adult mind needs to get out of the way so that my truth has room to become.

My truth is to help others.
My truth is to be creative.
My truth is to make things in dimension.
My mission statement is to help others find their truth through creative play with art.

My truth is to embrace the earth.
My truth is to protect the animals.
My truth is lightly walking a spiritual path.
My mission statement is to help others realize their spirit connection through art.

I have an arts related job that is interesting, and serves to bring art to a broader audience. It is in alignment with my mission. So why should I be concerned that I do not make much money? Am I buffeted by society’s creed that you are paid what you are worth? I don’t get paid much and I feel I am offering a lot, so I wrestle with my pay not being in alignment with my worth. Cool your jets, Liese.

Be thankful for Having a Job.
Be thankful for it being Arts Related.
Be thankful for having a job somewhat in alignment with your mission statement.
At work, my mission statement might be; I help others find tranquility through art in their environment.

I am thankful.

The Curve in Learning Social Media

2010-11-03T10:55:00.000-07:00

October 20, 2010

This morning I attended the Social Media breakfast at Talula’s Restaurant in Madison. I discovered my learning curve in the first five minutes of the excellent talk by Steve Roller on “Social Media and the Art of Copywriting”. He mentioned his site WebContentCopywriting.com and his business, Conversational Writing, LLC and it dawned on me that I going to learn more about writing copy, not copyrighting. Coming from an art background, where our web site is specific to protect the rights of artists in image reproduction, I had mistakenly thought I would be learning about copyrights, not copywriting. The second ah ha moment came when Steve Roller was describing Big Idea #1 in how to use direct response marketing and connect with your audience. Among other things he mentioned LOL means “Laugh out Loud”. Not “Lots of Love?” My kid sent me that the other day and I thought it was a show of affection.

I don’t think anyone noticed the pink flush of my embarrassment while Roller quickly moved on to Big Idea #2 reminding us that Social Media is about business. While having an honest interest in our customer, we should strive to write compelling and persuasive copy. And how do we do that? Big Idea #3 acknowledged the skill needed, but gave us some specific pointers to help us hone the art of writing. Steve covered several other points illustrating his ideas with some pretty amusing case studies.

Steve Roller’s packed short talk was full of concrete tips, good hand outs and lots of avenues to keep learning. I particularly like his tips: Don’t try too hard, write the way you talk and focus on one idea.

If all the Breakfast meetings are this enlightening, perhaps I should get myself to another one-maybe the one for “old people.”

LOL
Liese Pfeifer
Integrated Art Group

At Overture

2009-09-29T05:09:00.001-07:00

Hang Five Wool felt, steel 2009

This piece is currently on view at the Overture Center in Madison, WI. in conjunction with the Madison Area Open Art Studio Exhibit. My alter ego wants to be a surfer.

Found object and Wool Felt

2009-09-29T05:01:00.000-07:00

" Circle Wool felt, Steel 2008

In the past two years, I have been enjoying the hands on process of wet felting.

Environmental work

2009-09-29T04:15:00.000-07:00

One of my interests is Prairie Restoration. As part of this years Open Gallery October 17 and 18, friends and visitors can enjoy pickiing prairie seed next to the studio. I took this photo in the lower prairie.

2008-04-21T19:24:00.000-07:00

2008-04-21T19:22:00.000-07:00

Additional images-Lucchesi

2008-04-21T19:16:00.000-07:00

Gretchen Lucchesi, 1945-2007

2008-04-01T07:59:00.000-07:00

Lucchesi was a long time Maine resident active in the art community. She exhibited widely and was active teaching pottery to all age levels. With over 12 years teaching at Unity College, she is strongly linked with college level students and the area boasts many former students still pursuing their art. She recently passed away and has directed that her artwork be donated to public institutions that will exhibit it. To assist in implementing this optional dispersal, I am seeking Maine non-profits that will display and accept a donation of artwork.

Primitive fired pottery best describes the bulk of her recent work. Her organic hand built forms are fired in a pit with sawdust that results in a beautiful, soft abstract coloration from tans, pinks to black.
Artist Statement-Gretchen Lucchesi
When I was an undergraduate, I worked in stone, steel and bronze. I enjoyed the processes of carving, welding and lost-wax bronze casting, but when I discovered clay I felt a directness and immediacy with the material I had not experienced before. I fell in love with the “feel” of it. The sensual quality of clay, the almost life-like response to touch has kept me totally enthralled for over 30 years not. The interplay of form and surface, the ability to approach it both intellectually and intuitively, and the ultimate transformative results of the firing process are what keep me going. The reason I do the work in the first place is difficult to articulate. It is not making more objects. It is about how the process of working with the material brings me to a spiritual place of strength, purpose and peace, and hopefully the pieces communicate those feelings.

My work is about space; interior and exterior, literal and figurative, architectural and psychological. It is also about process. Wet clay is hand formed-sometimes around metal armatures, sometimes draped over sand bags or more clay or plaster forms. Various clay slips, sands and metals, sometimes mica are burnished into the partially dried surfaces. The pieces are pit fired (or smoked) outdoors in wood shavings for anywhere from 6 hours to 3 days depending on their size and the weather. Over time, my work is evolving from more abstract architectural forms to more personal and figurative shapes.

Gretchen Lucchesi is a graduate of Mount Holyoke College, where she studied sculpture with Leonard DeLonga, and has an MFA from the University of Massachusetts in ceramic sculpture. She was an artist in Residence for the Maine Touring Artists Program and on the LA Arts Roster (LA Arts, Lewiston, Maine); she has been a fellow of the Vermont Studio School and Colony, Vice-President of Maine Women in the Arts, and a member of the % for Art Selection Committee of Kennebec Valley Technical College. She has served as a Visiting Artist in numerous schools around Maine and taught sculpture and pottery at Unity College in Unity, Maine.

scam targets artists

2008-04-01T07:05:00.000-07:00

This is a VERY common scam. It may make you feel icky but it is so pervasive that it has almost become a joke. Artists and photographers are the latest targets.
The scams almost always work the same way:
The scammer wants what you have to offer. When you respond to their query, they insist on sending you postal money orders for the item in excess of what you are offering. The deal is that you then deposit the money orders and write a check for the excess to send to their "agent." The money orders are high-quality forgeries and will take a while to be discovered, by then your check will be cashed and you will owe the bank for the worthless money orders and you will be out the amount of the check as well.
It's pretty easy to spot the scam.
1. The English is almost always poor, bad grammar, bizarre constructions, etc.
2. The scammer never seems to know the details of the item about which they are so interested. The address the item in generic terms.
3. The scammer is in a different country but wants the funds sent somewhere in this country.
If you want to have fun pretend to go through with it and then send the money orders to the FBI. I've done this before, it's kind of amusing although the scammer started calling me constantly asking me to hurry up and send the money (Nigerian sort of accent...) until I told him that I'd sent his money orders to the feds, then he hung up quickly.
Eric Tadsen
Tadsen Photography
608.469.2255
http://tadphoto.com

High Street Gallery readies for new season

2008-03-06T13:46:00.000-08:00

High Street Gallery in Mineral Point will open it's doors for the 2008 season on April 5 from 11- 9 pm. The gallery's hours are 11-5, Friday through Sunday, April 5-December 6. Several new artists will joiin this year. You can view all the web site: www.highstreetartists.com.