by Sherill Summer
Inter-County Leader, April 18, 2007

Laura Tiede in her studio next to a rooftop composition she is working on.

GRANTSBURG – Early spring is a study of somber hues in northern Wisconsin. Any snow left is a dirty shadow of former brilliance. Brown leaves decompose in mud or hang from red oak branches, and grungy ice covers lakes. Grass is not yet green. Even the blue sky is often draped with clouds.

All of early spring’s drabness ends though, at Laura Tiede’s doorstep. Inside, walls of chartreuse green, yellow, peach, contrasting deep blue and green sparkle like a bed of pansies. Tiede’s jewel-toned paintings and pastel drawings are at home on the vibrant walls. It is easy to see that Tiede loves all of these colors. They are a part of her.

Subject matter from Tiede’s colorful artwork comes from a variety of places. She travels extensively with her husband John, and scenes from these travels find their way into the artwork. Farm animals remembered from her childhood on a dairy farm in northeastern Wisconsin or nature’s fascinating forms also provide subject matter for Tiede’s art. Whatever the subject matter, Tiede steps up the color and energy until the familiar is viewed in an unusual way. Cows become purple. Tulip leaves are painted blue, and rooftops radiate every color of the rainbow. Subject matter is presented from unusual vantage points. We look up at a tulip or looking down on the rooftops. Tiede will also arrange objects in such a way until they almost tell a story. Everything is presented with a heightened sensibility, shimmering with energy.

Even as a child, Tiede strove for the unusual. Although fond of the dairy farm she grew up on in northeastern Wisconsin, she also had interests outside the usual realm of farm life. She wanted to speak French. She was interested in ballet and art. In college she was able to pursue these dreams. She majored in French took ballet and art classes. Yet she was also influenced by her pragmatic upbringing and earned a practical teaching certificate which she was to use for nine years.

Tiede has loved to travel since spending a semester in Southern France when she was 20. She traveled as much as possible within her teaching job, even traveling as far away as Africa on a Fulbright teacher exchange during the 1999-2000 academic year. Eventually she realized that she must make a choice. Not only did her pragmatic, respectful teaching job not leave much time for art or traveling during the inexpensive off season, she also had little time to pursue other interests, such as art. Although it was difficult to do, Teide followed her heart and left her teaching job after the 2000 academic year. Now both Tiede and her husband concentrate on living a lifestyle that allows for the flexibility and extra money needed for long spontaneous trips. A part-time job as an interpreter at the Center for Victims of Torture in the Twin Cities fits in with this lifestyle, as does an art career.

Some of the destinations that Tiede and her husband have traveled to are Kenya, Tanzania, India, Japan and several trips to Europe. They have just returned from six weeks in Thailand and Cambodia. Their travel style is spontaneous to the extent that when they left home, they only knew where they were going to stay for two nights. The rest they figured out when they got there. It will be interesting to see what of these travels find way into artwork!

Changing careers is challenging. Tiede has pursued art as any small-business owner. She has learned how to frame her work and where to get prints made. She has found places to hang her work and worked out a balance between prints and originals that work well with the clientele. She also offers payment plans so that her art is available to those with limited funds. Last year she participated in two art fairs and hopes to do more this year. She also has a Web site at www.ltart.com where you can contact her and view more examples of her work.

Tiede has an exhibit now at the Wilde Roast in Minneapolis, Minn and has cards available at Café Wren in Luck. She will also have work at the Orchard House Gallery in Centuria when it opens this spring.