Doretta Miller

About my work

My recent work is a series of portraits of interesting and beloved chairs. Having worked in water-based gouache for many years, I recently returned to painting oil on canvas. The idea of using chairs as metaphors for human subjects came about as the result of posing the question, “Which objects have evolved with humans and have a long tradition within the visual arts, and continue to have relevance today?” The chairs are paired with historical and modern artists who seemingly share or reinforce each other’s personality and even mood. Flowers are included to provide a visual bridge between the subject and representation of a well-known work of art. With a nod to early daguerreotype portraits of family members, the backgrounds are kept plain, and the subject looks directly at the viewer.

I have always had an interest in the play of light on objects, and the strong illusion of three-dimensions on two-dimensional surfaces. Highly resolved paintings encourage the viewer to consider the subtleties of the images, and slow down and take the time needed to make associations.

See also:
Skidmore web site
Oakroom Artists
Email: dmiller@skidmore.edu