Lili Schad

Lili Schad

lili@clearwaterfilms.com

Website: http://www.lilischad.com

   New Paltz, NY

I live in New York City and New Paltz, NY with my two amazing children.

Over the past 25 years I have created using mixed media, film and photography. My work is inspired by a love of nature and adventure, and driven by a passion for the understanding and the healing of the earth and everyone and everything on it.  My objective is to create something, anything, every day that I have the privilege of waking up.

I began my career as a photographer for Warren Miller ski movies, which was a lot of fun and just a little bit dangerous, as we were documenting the start of the extreme sports media phenomenon.  When it was time to move on, I founded Clearwater Films in San Francisco, and for the next 15 years focused on making films to inspire the conservation of the great outdoors. Of course there was a big wave film in there (the first Maverick’s documentary) since old habits do die hard.

Then came my beautiful children and with them, a switch to the creation of fine art, or rather, a passion for making things from nothing that express who and what I am without homage to anything else. I have found a lot of personal meaning in this freedom.

Connect with me.  Start a discussion. Come back to my site. Enjoy this moment ‘cause it’s all you got.

As it reads on my studio door (from Thich Nhat Hanh)

MORE ABOUT THE ARTIST

What did the Fellowship or Laureate mean to you at the time you received it?

It gave me the confidence to pursue bigger projects, such as a feature film.

What do you do now? Has your art evolved or changed?

My work has evolved from film to fine art. I think my website says it all. Please look there: www.lilischad.com

What is one piece of advice you would give to an emerging artist?

I would give two pieces of advice: 1. Do the work that you need to do, not what you believe others want to see. You may break through or you may not, but it doesn't matter if you are working from your heart. 2. Get a basic understanding of business and how a small business works so that you maintain your power in negotiations and when operating as an individual.

Briefly, how would you describe the state of the arts locally, as well as national and beyond?

I think being an artist is becoming more and more difficult as the world homogenizes and as money flows to established artists and away from emerging artists. It is getting difficult to break through.