Today we’d like to introduce you to Nathan Miller
Hi Nathan, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Art was something close to my heart since as far back as I can remember. Throughout middle school and high school you could always find me drawing in a sketch pad or doodling in a notebook. When I was 15 I began painting with acrylics. Something about them resonated with me. For years I painted abstracted figures with flat colors and different shapes. It wasn’t until years later that the realism I drew in sketch pads would emerge on canvas and panel.
Throughout my early life art was what I really wanted to do, but for practical reasons I pursued a career in Graphic Design. And while I did enjoy the lifestyle of a graphic designer, I kept thinking about my art. But it wasn’t until 2012 that I decided to begin a new chapter in my life and truly explore art as a career. My love for nature, surfing and a desire to find inspiration led me to Nosara, Costa Rica. This period in my life would give me the opportunity to develop a style of my own which was quite different than the art I had done up to that point. What started as cautious realism mixed with patterns would develop over time to be more and more realistic.
The five years I spent in Nosara were inspiring, challenging, and exactly what I needed to grow as an artist. The stunning nature and wildlife became the focus of my work. I also painted the people who I knew. I sold small prints of my art to tourists at gift shops, and eventually sold larger originals and stretched canvas prints at the Hidden Garden Gallery in Liberia, Costa Rica. While the path had many obstacles along the way, the community of Nosara helped support my goals by hosting art shows and commissioning paintings. Having a community of support was integral to the viability of my career at that time.
Today, I reside in Tampa, Florida, but since 2017 I’ve also lived in St. Pete and Covington, Georgia. During the last few years, I’ve primarily focused on the art festival circuit across the US. It has been a challenge having a style that can take up to 250 hours on one painting while needing to also spend a significant amount of time traveling and preparing for shows. Besides the art festival circuit, I’ve also been represented by the Mary Martin Gallery in Charleston, South Carolina and I’ve been a member of the International Guild of Realism and the Society of Animal Artists. The themes of my work continue to feature wildlife and people, but with more imagination and detail than before.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I don’t know many artists, if any, who have had a smooth road. Pursuing art as a career is tricky. You struggle with doing the art you want to do and hoping it will align with what people want. If it doesn’t then you either have to take the art you’re doing to another level so that it has more of a wow factor, or you have to adjust and get a bit closer to what people want. Another struggle for me is the time it takes me to paint. Very detailed realism takes time. It’s the nature of the style. But the business of art doesn’t always prioritize quality. But quality is very important to me and I never want to jeopardize that. The art festival circuit is also challenging because there are a lot of shows that aren’t top level shows or shows conducive to your specific style or price points, and it often requires trial and error to learn which shows are right and which shows are wrong for you. Also, when people think about the business of art they imagine you are painting all the time. Painting is only one part of the business. Traveling, making prints, social media, website edits, selling, etc. There is a lot more to the business, and the business is more expensive and time consuming than many people realize.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am an imaginative realist painter of both wildlife and people. I use acrylic paints and primarily prefer working with smooth surfaces like gesso board so that every detail is visible. My work explores elements of design, symmetry, symbolism, and concepts dealing with our relationship with nature.
I’m probably mostly known for my series that explores wild animals and indigenous human cultures from around the world. And while this series considers the stories, traditions and challenges that surround wildlife, it also emphasizes the need to protect and coexist with wildlife. This series celebrates both animals in the wild and indigenous cultures. Despite the history of conflict, as human populations increase and wildlife populations decrease, there will need to be a shift toward coexistence.
Something that sets me apart from others is probably the detail that I put into my work. One piece can take 250 hours to complete. The level of detail, especially with acrylic paint, is not something I encounter very often.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
I’m happy when I’m bonding with family and friends, when I’m painting, surfing, or connecting with nature, and when I see my two year old son laugh and smile.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.nathanmiller.gallery
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/nathanmillerfineart
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/nathanmillerfineart
- Other: https://bsky.app/profile/nathanmillerartist.bsky.social
