Sebastian – Dawn Miller is once again pursuing her love of art, which began when
she was a child growing up in Annapolis, MD.
Miller and her family moved to Sebastian in December 2003, after
visiting Dawn’s parents in Barefoot Bay.
As the youngest daughter of seven children, she recalled that her
mom had a “studio” in the basement where she painted in oils. But more
influential was a local artist, Jerry Valerio, who would teach her art in his
studio, along with several other neighborhood children. He also critiqued her
artwork up until she graduated from high school.
It was in his studio she acquired the drawing skills she declared
were the foundation of her talent.
As a junior high school student she used to go out into the woods
near her home after school with a mason jar of water and her paints to do what
is now called “en plein air” painting, or painting in the open air rather than
indoors.
Miller attended The Madeira School, a girls’ private high school on
the Potomac, in McClain, Va. It was here that she continued to take courses in
art and when home, received constructive advice Valerio. She worked with
acrylics, oils and most often watercolors. Another experience which reinforced
her interest in art happened when she became an intern for Michigan Congressman
John Dingell. During her lunch hours in the capital, Dawn would visit the
National Gallery to look at the art. She remembers being particularly fascinated
with the work of Winslow Homer. Although she thought about attending art school
after high school, Miller said she headed west and became a ski bum in Aspen,
Colo.
First Time in Florida
After Colorado, she drove to South Florida where her parents had
retired from Maryland. It would be some time before she returned to her artwork
as she began her life’s journey. While South Florida, Miller worked at a
restaurant where she met her husband, Chris, and attended Palm Beach Junior
College. Dawn and Chris then moved to Tallahassee so that she could complete her
bachelor’s degree in psychology. After receiving her degree, she began a career
there in crisis intervention counseling.
Later, Miller, now married, decided to move to Mississippi with
Chris, where they worked as caretakers of a Presbyterian Church camp outside of
Oxford. They lived on 300 acres in a cabin in the woods.
She began to do nature studies for the campers and realized that she
should further her education. While her husband was taking graduate courses at
the University of Mississippi, she too, began to take biology courses there and
eventually received a master’s degree in the subject.
Then the couple moved near Knoxville, Tenn., where Dawn took a
position with the Oakridge National Laboratory doing research on radioactive
releases from waste sites while her husband began a doctorate program in
philosophy at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.
|
Started Her Family
By the early
1990s she became pregnant, and went into quality control and project management.
Soon she began to apply her counseling skills to technical meetings and was sent
for facilitation training. Dawn became certified as a mediator and began a new
job working in the courts in Knoxville.
It was during this period that her son Jacob was born in 1992.
Dawn’s mother gave her a box of pastels soon after his birth. It was at this
time she went back to her artwork by experimenting with pastels, until once
again her life got too busy.
By 2000, the couple had bought a restaurant and Dawn also had
started a flower farm on their 15-acre property. By 2002, they decided they
needed to spend more time as a family raising their child. They sold everything,
purchased a 38-food RV and a big Ford truck and traveled around the country
while home schooling their son Jacob.
In December 2003, they stopped at the campgrounds in Wabasso because
it was a convenient place to stay while visiting Dawn’s parents in Barefoot Bay.
As the months passed, they decided that they liked Sebastian and purchased a
house.
In the fall of 2005, Dawn began to take classes at the Vero Beach
Museum of Art. She completed classes in watercolor, in basic pastels and a
studio class.
By January 2006, Jacob began school at the charter junior high and
during last year Dawn went to Hilton Head, S.C. to study pastels with a master
artist in that field, Doug Dawson. She entered her first competition at the
Backus Gallery in Fort Pierce and one of her pastels received a ribbon.
On Exhibition
Two of her
pieces have been accepted at the Treasure Coast Exhibition, which will be at the
Vero Beach Courthouse through April 19. She also is a member of the Vero Beach
Art Club.
Dawn always carries her digital camera with her to take pictures of
whatever catches her eye. She described how she often stops the car when driving
her son to and from school so that she can snap a picture. Such pictures often
provide the inspiration for her artwork. Pastels are her preferred art medium at
present.
Her home is filled with her artwork, which includes both landscape
and portraits of people. She is available to do commission work. For more
information, call (772) 388-6606.
|
