Episode 15: Debbie Miller
Welcome back to a two-parter! Today - and for the next two episodes- I’m talking with acrylic and oil painter Debbie Miller.
In part 1, you learn how a single workshop changed Miller’s life, how she keeps inspired and her process for working through a painting.
In part 2 (coming July 13th) , discover Miller’s goals for color, why a learner’s mindset is so pivotal to getting better at painting and how the artist finally made peace with her trickiest color, yellow.
In Part 1, we’ll cover:
1:01 How Miller got started in art
4:01 Still life painting
5:05 Getting serious about art
7:51 Obstacles of daily painting
10:34 Dealing with ideas of selfishness
13:00 Arranging life to fit daily painting
13:42 What the ritual of daily painting gives Miller
15:59 Setting up systems
18:15 Early frustrations
19:27 Paying attention to hiccups
20:42 Managing early obstacles
22:28 Saying yes
26:23 Substrate
26:55 Transitioning from acrylic to oil
28:33 Miller’s painting process
29:51 How she builds up her painting
31:19 Where she makes her decisions
32:39 Not doing thumbnails
33:26 Painting from photos
34:44 Working in squares
36:35 Permission for photos
In Part 2, we discuss:
1:03 Mood Miller wants in her work
1:37 Challenge students face with color
3:16 Color charts
5:09 Color that game Miller the biggest challenge
5:47 Yellow
6:35 Miller’s limited palette
8:25 Palette management
9:13 Color grid
10:34 Practicing color
11:32 How translates color from reference to painting
12:53 Mental space for painting
14:07 Freedom of daily painting
16:13 The importance of being learners
18:10 The critic
22:08 Kindness and learning
22:47 Keeping learners mindset as you improve
23:47 Challenges of painting flowers
24:58 Simplifying
26:44 Focusing on single flowers as practice
27:57 Light and dark
28:59 Focal point
29:23 Working through a painting
30:51 Shadows
32:52 How to use pattern in her work
34:05 Keeping a sense of depth when working with patterns
35:38 Using your tools
38:43 Advice for getting good at painting
41:43 Starting too late
43:10 Importance of finding a community