Artist Michael R Miller

                Born (1949) and raised in Sarasota Florida , during the 50's and 60's, Mike was well aware of the creative and artistic environment around him.  Circus performers, artists, writers, and free spirits surrounded him throughout his childhood and youth. Mike’s interest in the graphic arts developed early and Sarasota held a wealth of inspiration to draw from, both figuratively and literally.

            After receiving his B.F.A. from the University of South Florida, Mike continued to work on his painting skills even as life beckoned him North to Maine and New Hampshire. His early heroes Van Gogh, Monet, and Pissarro, were replaced by the American impressionist and the Ashcan school. Soon lesser known New England painters like Gruppe, Hibbard, and Thieme, caught his attention and their wintertime connections to Florida stirred a renewed longing to return to his beloved gulf coast.

            Mike returned to the Sarasota area in the mid-80's and immediately began plein air painting hometown scenes and memories of his youth.  In 2002 Mike devoted himself fulltime to learning a more commercial approach to his art and his talent expanded as his creative energy focused.   His local success opened a platform for Mike’s work to be viewed nationally.  Mike’s loose impressionistic handling of paint and his bold color choices make viewing his landscapes, florials, and seascapes a visual delight.  His dramatic light and compositional skills keep the paintings fresh and engaging insuring years of enjoyment for their owners.

              Mike will continue to paint, dramatic floral, colorful Florida landscapes, and the small town charm of local scenes for the enjoyment of the present and the preservation of the future.