Deep Forest #2 Painting

ARTIST'S STATEMENT OF STEVEN MILLER Although I received my training based on the principals of the 19th century French Academy, including the study of Old Masters, landscapes, figure painting and the direct observation of nature and can do representational work, I have felt more compelled towards abstracting images in news media including print, the internet, computers, electronic photography and pop culture. I have done thousands of studies of the human figure, innumerable landscapes and multitudes of drawings based on nature. At the same time I have also taken hundreds of photographs, which led to my involvement with photos taken with the electron microscope. I began with producing series of drawings based on different digital images. From these initial studies I painted my first large format oils on wooden doors, exploring and expanding upon the studies that I had done involving photo-electronic images. It is from these beginnings that I have been continuing my work. I paint in a series of paintings, usually working on from two to three paintings at a time. The initial idea behind these works still hold a strong fascination for me and continue to provide me with boundless inspiration. The work I produce is all about color, form and things that appear to be simple on the surface having a much larger and much more complex reality. The interaction with nature also plays an important part in my work. My abstract paintings are all about creating excitement for the viewer through concentrated exploration. Each painting is inspired by nature, travels, or imagination and created to embody immediate impact and lasting power. It is about creating a visual that has never been seen before. I want each painting to engage the viewer through it's own combination of color, motion and dimension. I want the viewer to have a sense of wonderment and curiosity. I want to involve the viewer through searching the variety of textures, dark and light passages and space within the painting. Are the colors connected? Do they hover above the surface, or streak across the surface? My goal in each painting is to urge the viewer to return to the painting and discover new associations with it. I want the viewer and the painting to have a dialog with one another. ABOUT THE ARTIST Steven Miller lives and maintains a studio both in Marrakech, Morocco and in the rolling hills of Litchfield County Connecticut.