Numinous 17. Julie Ann Miller, artist
Throughout this month, see new abstract small works by artist Julie Ann Miller at BlackBird Frame & Art, where her work as a framer has also led Miller to a career as a painting conservator. “Visitors can expect to see a collection of charming and ethereal smaller works (none larger than 16” x 20”) that are reminiscent of familiar sublime landscapes that inspire the imagination and invite the viewer to curate their own interpretations,” says Miller. “My hope with this show was to connect to people not only through the shared love of the environment we live in but the experience of existing within it—the impression it leaves on us to our very souls.”
Numinous 21. Julie Ann Miller, artist
Miller grew up in Maryland and visited Western North Carolina with a friend for many years before moving to the area in 2019. “I’ve always loved the mountains more than anywhere else,” she says. “When I had a job driving across the country, I would always cry when I saw the ridgelines come into view across the neverending lines of the highway. I’ve always known here was home. I’m tucked into corners of the forest every week, and it’s a huge part of my process.”
Her “intuitive” and “gravity-fed” process uses few tools. “Instead, I use the pooling of the ink in different viscosities to create my pieces,” she says, “and manipulate it 90 percent of the time with my hands and the paper itself. Gravity does the rest. The action of moving the ink between what is essentially two canvases feels like a conversation, and one I’m not entirely in control of. Once I have the two halves, I let them dry and see how they’re best combined. This process sometimes takes longer than the initial paintings themselves.”
This dialogue in halves speaks to an ever-present theme of connection in her work. “It calls to my own experience as someone who is neurodivergent, and my own struggles with communication and my fear of being misunderstood,” she says. “No same experiences had by two separate individuals are ever congruent. I exploit those similarities and differences in my art to create something beautiful.”
BlackBird Frame & Art is located at 365 Merrimon Avenue, Asheville. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. Admission to the gallery is free and open to the public. Learn more at BlackBirdFrame.com or call 828.225.3117.
