Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Piera Pugliese. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Piera , thanks for joining us today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your creative career sooner or later?
I waited till the pandemic to start being a full time artist. We had a family restaurant that just didn’t make it through the pandemic. Although I had studied painting and drawing at Ontario College of Art and graduated in 1992 I divided my time taking care of my family, working at the restaurant and what ever time and energy that was left over went to my art. I tried to bring art into the my life as much as I could, the walls at the restaurant were a gallery, Bending Spoons Gallery. I showed different local artist every month. I also started an arts festival in our business area, Junction Arts Festival. Of course all this made it harder to do my own work. I wish I had started focusing on my art much sooner, I see some friends who graduated when I did and their work and careers are so much further ahead.
Piera , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I am a 72 year old landscape painter, an honours graduate from the Ontario College of Art 1992 and an award winning artist and arts advocate based in Toronto. I have shown in group exhibitions in public and private galleries, and solo exhibitions in alternative exhibition venues. I love to paint en plein air and then work up studio paintings from the sketches. I feel so much joy when I sit in nature, but when I can also paint it, my day is perfect. Recently I have been painting more urban landscapes including cars and street lights with dappled light from blossoming trees in my own neighbourhood. I use colour fearlessly and revel in strong contrasts. I need to remind myself that nature is not all burning down or being washed away from floods, like newscasts are always telling us. We all need to take a moment and breathe.
Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?
During the pandemic I took a 3 month arts marketing course. I learned how to make my own website (computer is not my first language). I use a social media planning ap. and I joined arts groups. I watch as many arts shows as I can find. Brilliant Ideas is the latest one I found, who would have guessed that a news network would have such a fine show profiling visual artist. I have read so many books on creativity and marketing one my favourites is the three little books from Austin Kleon. “Steal Like an Artist”, “Show your Work”, Keep Going” a short list of some books I found useful, “Make Your Art No Matter What” Beth Pickens, “Atomic Habits” James Clear, ” How To Be an Artis” Jerry Saltz, ” This is Marketing” Seth Godin, “Marketing Made Simple” Donald Miller and… I found “The Ninth Street Women” by Mary Gabriel most inspiring
Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?
I graduated one of the most prestigious art schools in this country without a clue of how to approach a gallery to show my work. No idea how to construct a bio and art statement, let alone any marketing and budgeting training. Granted it was over 30 years ago and I was taught how to crop a slide. Back then slides were the way your work was recorded and sent out. I didn’t understand that Art is a business. Now I spend more than 50% of my time at my desk doing admin work, researching calls and submitting, working on the website and social, collecting content, refining my brand. There was a huge gap from when slides were the thing and now everything is digital and on line. Oh and apparently now I need to learn how to make a reel. When I started art school I was given that speech look to your left, look to your right, only 2 or 3 of this entire class will earn a living as an artist. It would have been more helpful to be told that if we support each other we can all do better. Networking really works, be part of your arts community, join as many organizations as you can, go to all the art show openings you can. Never stop learning.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.pierapugliese.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pieras_art/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100088966006145
Image Credits
Ester Pugliese, Margaret Hall, Piera Pugliese