2006-02-26T08:54:00.000-08:00

2006-01-23T10:51:00.000-08:00

Lisa Peters here! Multi Media Artist searching for inspiration, ways to share my artwork and I never had my own blog before so I thought, "why don't I write all this personal information about myself for people to read?" Hey -- sounded like a plan! About Me: My education/backround is in Commercial Freelance Photography..I recieved my B.F.A. from The School of Visual Arts in 1989 :( <--- did I say 1989? WOW... and jumped fast & furious into the world of editorial, fashion & catalog work..I was 20 years old. As a matter a fact I think I had my first studio before I could legally buy a bottle of champagne to celebrate with. Not that my studio was much to brag about - but it served its purpose and was shared by a limo company & a dentist who made fake teeth in the office to my right. I don't think anyone minded at all when model's came in for testing. I had some pretty fantastic clients & magazines and life was good. I spent a few years there, got married, bought a house and decided that I could convert space in my home to do my photography and thats what I did. My business started to change when I bought the house and no longer did any "fashion" that included humans. I remained a still life photographer but gradually took jobs that required my presence "somewhere else". I enjoyed editorial work for magazines because I met alot of people and got a first hand look at who they were & what they were about so that became the best part about being a photographer. The fact that I had no control over the photo editing was a little hard to take at first --- You know looking at the editor and "screaming inside - why the h-- would you pick that photo instead of this great one?" Oh well. At the same time I started working a part time job for my mother & step father in NYC's flower market. We owned about 4 stores at the time (still in business) and I was asked to help my mother & some other insignificant person who shall remain nameless.. run one of the stores, my stepfather remained elsewhere in the company... It was easy to do both because neither was a 9-5 job and it was a nice way to acquire knowledge of the field and a multitude of flowers to photograph! To make a long story short "don't work for your family", there are 2 ways that story can go..#1. You dont do anything, get paid alot of money and have the constant satisfaction that your name is on the company letterhead OR #2. You can work harder than anyone else, get the lowest pay allowed by law & get blamed for everything that happens even if you are out of the country at the time...Can you guess which one I had the privelege of experiencing? Anyway, At 25 years old I had spinal surgery..I had been researching surgeons and surgery for about 1 1/2 years and finally found the best surgeon .. Dr Frank Cammisa, Jr. Hospital for Special Surgery, NYC., and after months of Pre-Surgery tests I was on the table. Not so bad... If you have ever experienced "real back pain" (yes, real back pain) for years of your life the pain of recovery is nothing-just another "day in pain" .. I was told I would be up and around in a few months..and in reality I was up and around in 2 1/2 weeks. I had a spinal fusion L-3 to S-1 with my own harvested bone & instrumentation. It has been about 11 years since the surgery... other than weight gain and the occasional pain from the weather..I don't have any problems. At the time I was told I should go on complete disability... Why on earth would I go on disability if I could work? I never really understood where that ideaolgy comes from -- probably from "lazy person in charge" giving free $$$ to people with "lazy-personitis" I have a real problem with people who "milk the system". You know who you are, You think you are winning - but your not., you are really losing out in life, that free $$$ comes with a BIG price tag..You'll see. Ok..back on track, but Blogs are about ramblings on, aren't they?
I continued to shoot for years after surgery but without the same enthusiasm..and one day., after years of weird part time jobs, bartending one of them, and some therapy I discovered that, "Hey its okay if you don't want to take pictures anymore, its okay if you want to try other media" And thats when this wonderful journey began.

Lisa Peters Art