2,047+ DAYS

4,094+ PAINTINGS

On March 22, 2016, Brian and Debbie Miller decided to try an experiment: for a month, they would get up each morning at 5am and paint a small 6” x 6” painting before going to work. It wasn’t an original idea. The concept of “painting small and often” had already gained significant traction in the artistic world, after artists like Duane Keiser and Carol Marine decided to increase their visibility and sales through creating small paintings every day and selling them through “non-traditional” markets, such as eBay, blogs, and other websites. But for the Millers, the experiment was both an answer to a deeper set of longings and the beginning of an adventure that would become an indispensable part of their lives.

So, this experiment in daily painting was a significant chance for them both to overcome their limiting mythologies and develop a practice that worked for them. At the end of the month, they each laid their paintings out on their dining room table and were stunned. Brian had developed a body of work. Debbie’s skills had improved. They had both discovered the power of iterative learning – the value of working through all the stage of a painting, from initial inertia to finishing touches, over and over.

They experienced the benefits of making art (something they had decided was important to them) first thing, before other demands got in the way. No matter what happened after they left their easels, they had already made their mark in the world that day. And they found that the joys of creating together were a blessing to both their relationship and their artwork.

Now, after over 5-1/2 years of creating over 4,000 paintings between them, they cannot imagine a life that didn’t involve this daily expression of creativity and love.

2,047 Days + 4,094 Paintings Later

THE MILLERS EXHIBIT

Opens at MARA Art Studio + Gallery

Friday, October 29, 2021