Larry Miller Exhibits at Palestine Art Center

PALESTINE, Ill. - April 8, 2015 - PRLog -- Miller's work is the subject of a one man show in the Main Gallery of the Palestine Art Center at 110 S. Main through July 31. The gallery, accessible through the Main Street Bistro, is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. It will also be open those hours Saturday during Spring Fling.

Miller's paintings are found in private, corporate and public collections in every state but Hawaii, as well as Canada, England, France, Greece, Israel and Japan. His pen and ink with watercolor style is unique to him and is something he developed on his own by trial and, according to Miller, lots of error. His work preserves for history the architectural subjects of rural and small town America.

Known for his paintings of barns, outhouses, and charming old buildings, Miller says they are not his primary purpose. "I am fascinated with attempting to recreate the old wood, peeling paint, weathered brick, and rusty metal which is frequently found on the evermore rapidly disappearing farm and small town commercial architecture."

Miller's style is very detailed and is highly sought after by his collectors. His waiting list is measured in years.

"He has customers who drive eight hours in a day to get one of his originals each year," his wife, Barbara, said. "It seems like architects, doctors, and art instructors take a great interest in Larry's work, I think because of the fineness of the detail he includes."

He has been in many one and two-person exhibits and is the featured artist at several art festivals recently and each year.

Miller's awards are extensive and too numerous to list here in competitive shows and art festivals.

His technique is also highly sought after by aspiring artists. Miller accepts up to four invites to give workshops each year at various art guilds and studios in Central Illinois and Indiana.

Well-respected and having earned fame in the artist's community, Miller is also often called upon and sometimes serves as juror for a variety of guild and open art competitions.

Miller majored in industrial arts at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston. "My parents decided I would be an engineer and I began those studies at college but changed to industrial arts with a teaching certificate after also considering a law degree, but decided it would take too much schooling. Engineering just really wasn't what I wanted to do.

"I took art classes but really didn't learn much of my current style from the art department at the time," Miller said. "Seeing my art professor at a Charleston exhibit several years later, he came to me to exclaim 'You have truly succeeded in capturing the essence of a barn.'

"When I told him I had, in fact, been under his tutelage, the professor said, 'It's a good thing you got out from under (my) influence when you did,'" Miller recalled.

"I've been drawing pictures as long as I can remember," Miller admitted.

Favorite artists who have influenced Miller's work and whom he respects include regional artist Denzil Omer "Salty" Seamon from Terre Haute, Dean Mitchell, Ray Hendershot and Ted Sizemore.

Miller taught in southern Michigan public schools for 10 years and was an administrator there for 20 years before he retired and returned to Palestine. He married Palestine native Barbara Hardesty in 1987.

http://www.larrymillerart.com