Get to Know Local Artist: Leigh Miller

Continuing our local artist series, this month, we are interviewing painter Leigh Miller. You may have seen her paintings in the Artist Showcase at the Artcraft Cottage during First Fridays last year or in her booth during the Ethos Celebration of the Arts.
 
Leigh creates expansive, wild, textured landscapes in which viewers can get lost. When I look at Leigh's paintings, I see her outgoing, charismatic, uplifting personality translated to canvas, where flowers dance and fields unfold with wild abandon. While she's loved painting all of her life, the past three years have been particularly poignant in her story as she transitions to being a full-time artist.
 
I talked with Leigh about what inspires her art, how she started painting, and the stories behind the captivating scenes she creates. 

When did you start as an artist?
I went to school for graphic design. In college, you have to take all these prerequisites, including a painting class. When I got into the painting class, I was immediately drawn to the art form. I loved everything about the atmosphere; it made me feel alive. By the end of the class, I had finished painting this large art piece of a doorway that everyone loved. I dismissed my deep interest in painting at the time, though. I didn't want to be a “starving artist.” So, I kept on with my career path as a graphic designer.
 
Throughout my life, whenever I was exposed to paints or saw them in the store, I felt charged and drawn to painting, but life continued on. After college, I got married, had kids, and didn't really consider giving time to painting, even though it was a huge desire of mine. It was in my late 20s that I found God, and that turned my life around. Throughout my journey, I met this pastor. He was really inspirational to me.
 
At the time, I didn't know that the pastor was a huge art lover, but I gifted him my painting of the doorway I created in college, and he loved it. Every time I saw him in passing at church, he would ask me if I was painting. I would often say "No," and he would reply, "You need to be painting." And that conversation continued for more than 20 years. He recently passed away, and I often hear his voice saying, "You need to be painting." To have someone so prolific like that in your life made me realize that I could not let this go.
 
My goal now is to be a full-time artist. Being a single mom on this journey can be hard, but I want my kids to see me do this.
 
A couple of years ago, I was in downtown Franklin with my daughter, and they were hosting Chalk the Block. I met Patrick Tisdale and told him I'd love to get involved in the local artist community and shared my story of needing to be an artist. He ended up inviting me to an artist meeting, and that is where I met Greg Potter. Greg and I have formed this friendship. We like to collaborate and talk about art, and it has really helped me on this journey and propelled me forward. Greg and I have done several mural projects together as well!

What is your artistic process like?
I start with a reference image that I put a grid on and then use a chalk line to grid my canvas. After that, I draw the big shapes I see in the image. I try not to get too hung up on it being exact, which Greg has helped me with. He said, "It doesn't look good in the photo; it's not going to look good in the painting. You want a good painting." So, I try to use the photo as a loose reference as I'm blocking colors and shapes in.
 
I also wear headphones to get lost in music. It helps me stop hyper focusing so much on the reference photo and lose control. I let things just happen, and if it looks good, I leave it. Some aspects to a painting come together in 30 minutes. I don't even know how those moments happen. I'm just so in the moment, and I take a step back from the painting and see what looks good. Other times, it's more of a battle. I find that the wilder I get with dancing and playfulness, the better my paintings are.
 
Over the past year, I've written scriptures and put them on the canvas before I start painting, so they are behind the painting. I want my work to be this prayer that is going up. 

What is a challenging aspect of painting for you?
I vacillate between confidence and some doubt. There is often a voice inside my head that says, "You're not that good. People just humor you and say you're a good artist, but you're really not," or "You're wasting your time." But I think every artist goes through that, even if they don't talk about it.
 
What inspires your paintings?
My paintings are very expressionistic. One of my first big paintings was of a lavender field I painted on an old door. My mom was from Tasmania, Australia. They have lots of lavender fields in Australia, and that is what I was obsessed with when I started painting. I painted so many lavender fields in the beginning.
 
I want people to feel peace within the chaos when they look at my paintings. My textured paintings are like fire; they dance. When people look at those, I want them always to see something different and make them feel alive. I just love layered, interactive paintings that are spontaneous. Whenever you look at it, you always find something different or new.
 
What advice would you give to aspiring artists?
Pursue your passion with wild abandonment. Don't let fear stop you from doing what your heart is genuinely telling you to do. You don't want to say "I wish I would've" at the end of your life.
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To learn more about Leigh Miller's work, you can visit her Instagram page @paintingsbyleighm
For other blog posts about local articles, read about Greg Potter, John Strickland, and Raymond Turner.