Artist Focus Pages
Born in Ohio in 1981, Darin Miller grew up with nature nearby. He started painting with oils when he was barely a teenager and subjects ranged from landscapes and still life, to the occasional animal. Eventually, he brought more and more of his experiences with nature into his artwork. A few trips early on to the western states sparked his interest in the larger mammals that the east generally lacks.
“Hiking many miles and searching for new subjects to include in my work is definitely rewarding,” he says. Sometimes Miller encounters a particular bird or butterfly only once or twice in a few years. The rarity of a subject can be a real draw for him to want to paint it.
“I enjoy painting the habitat as much as the subject itself—without the habitat, there would be no animal,” he explains. “There are butterflies, for example, that only have one or two host plant species that they lay their eggs on.”
Although his style is realism, simply because it is just how his eyes see the world, his focus is on composition. Miller believes that an excellent design will show through in any approach. He has been a signature member of the Society of Animal Artists for over a decade and has made it into their prestigious Art and the Animal exhibition 11 times. His awards with SAA include the Haller Distinguished Young Artist Award and the Don Eckelberry Scholarship Award. This year’s exhibition includes a bullfrog painting of his, and can be seen at the James Museum of Western and Wildlife Art in St. Petersburg, Florida, until October 23.