Eleanor Miller

Click HERE to read about Eleanor Miller in Lorraine Glessner's online Art Blog

Eleanor Miller is inspired by the farmland that surrounds her Connecticut studio and her affinity with the natural world is abundantly evident in her ethereal oils. After receiving her BFA from Connecticut College in New London, the artist studied with The Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City.

Artist Statement

Painting reflects my observation of nature, and the creatures that roam, swim and share this planet with us. The images that interest me discuss life’s continuing process and the mystery of its evolution. I think about how ancient the earth is and all that has been going on for thousands of years. There is a balance in the natural world that is driven by survival. Nothing in nature is arbitrary; everything has a purpose connected to survival and procreation of a species. I search for the balance in how we fit into this scheme in the modern world while we cohabitate with nature as one entity.

My focus is on the big picture of our natural world and also on the small unseen things such as the dragonflies that skip over an obscure pond or the descending pods floating to the ground that remains invisible. These are all included in the dance. They are an integral part of our evolving world and serve a purpose in the scheme of things as much as the monumental natural occurrences.

This work tells the story of these ideas and is integrated with my personal relationship to nature. My world sits amongst sprawling fields surrounded by dense woods and a big sky. Everyday I see something that amazes me and this is what directly affects my painting. Distinct memories from childhood still resonate and find their way into my work as well. Some memories are simple yet magical and remain powerful. I can recall those early exposures to the outdoors which stayed with me and have become an essential part of my creative life. As I see it, the natural world nourishes the human spirit and can heighten one’s sense of place and well being. The process of painting illuminates these ideas as though seen through dreams and memories.

Education

School of Visual Arts, New York, NY, Master of Fine Arts

Connecticut College, New London, CT, Bachelor of the Arts

Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, NY AAS in Design

Exhibitions

2011 Clark Gallery, Lincoln, MA

2009 Sarah Doyle Gallery, Brown University

2009 Johnson Gallery at Glen Urquhart School, Beverly, MA

2007 Schmidt-Dean Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

2006 Susan Street Fine Art, Solana Beach, CA

2005 Bachelier-Cardonsky, Kent, CT

2005 Loucks Gallery, Glencoe, IL

2004 Bachelier-Cardonsky, Kent, CT

2003 Dillon Gallery, Oyster Bay, NY

2003 Origins and Legends, Loucks Gallery, Glencoe, IL

2002 "A Sense of Place", Anne Loucks Gallery, Glencoe, IL

2000 “Heavenfield” Wright Gallery, New York, NY

2000 Bachelier Cardonsky, Kent, CT

1999 Pepper Gallery, Boston, MA

1999 Schmidt-Dean Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

1998 Dillon Gallery, New York, NY

Museum Exhibitions

2000 "Millennium New Gifts and Acquisitions", The William Benton Museum of Art, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT

1999 "Annual Exhibition", The Decordova Museum, Lincoln, MA

1999 "Brushes with Spirituality: Ethereal Paintings", The Noyes Museum, Oceanville, NJ

1998 "Remembering Beauty: The Seductive and Nostalgic Nature of American Landscape", South Bend Regional Museum of Arts, South Bend, IN

1996 "Out of Eden", Kemper Museum, Kansas City, MO

1995 "New Voices, New Visions", Kennedy Museum of American Art, OH

Collections

Decordova Museum, Lincoln, MA

The William Benton Museum of Art, Storrs, CT

Florence Griswold Museum, Old Lyme, CT

The Resnick Collection, Los Angeles, CA