Reflections of a ManProvided by GrandLuxe Magazine
A contemporary playlist hums softly on a nearby stereo as fragrant incense burns in a shadowy corner of JD Miller’s Dallas studio. A skylight above a paint-flecked rug fills the dark room with natural light and sets the stage for what is about to transpire on a blank canvas hanging nearby. Paint is amassed on an oversized palette as tints burst from crinkled tubes - and so it begins. With each brushstroke and swipe of the paint knife, a new dimension is revealed and the colors run wild. This is JD Miller, the Reflectionist. The artistic movement coined by Miller in 2004 operates under the belief that whatever energy people put out into the world is what the universe reflects back. Reflectionist artwork mirrors the positive forces in the world on canvas. “My goal as an artist is to interpret the phenomenon of reflectionism, and in turn, my art is a mirror of life and the way I perceive the world,” Miller says.
The Dallas native’s first artistic inclination occurred at age four while exploring adventures and stories depicted in comic books and cartoons. The vivid lines and bold use of color captivated his imagination, and soon after he began to draw his own characters. At age nine, Miller traded Spiderman sketches for more sonic endeavors and picked up the guitar. By the time he had his driver’s license, the teen had learned to play the trumpet and piano as well, which led to frequent gigs at local nightclubs. Understanding the importance of education, he enrolled at The University of North Texas in Denton at age 18 and studied communications, music and art. Miller’s graduate studies included painting side by side with master colorist Liz Richardson, who was a member of the Royal Academy of London. John Miller at Texas Women’s University guided him through the study of sculpture and ceramics, which would later prove to be immensely helpful as the budding artist developed his own painting style. In 1998, the artist officially launched his professional painting career and people took notice.
While Reflectionism is his own creation, Miller gains inspiration for his masterpieces from the likes of several contemporary masters. Of the Impressionists, the artist admires Monet, Manet, Degas and Cezanne noting that they were some of the first artists to break from the rigid, "academic" style of painting in texture, color and subject. As Miller learned more about the life and works of Vincent Van Gogh, he saw that Van Gogh was moved by the bright colors of the Impressionists but then carved his unique vision in thick, rich oils. This is when Miller first acquired a taste for three-dimensional painting. He names Picasso as another major influence, calling him “a genius of geniuses.” “His work continued to break new ground his entire life. Just when people thought they had him figured out, Picasso would come up with an entirely new style and blow people's minds,” he says.
The artist also fancies pop art, especially that of Andy Warhol. “I liked his freedom of spirit and the whole ‘factory’ concept of bringing together creative people to challenge and inspire each other.” But the man who started it all for Miller was the late Walt Disney. “He worked under adverse conditions to make cartoons a true dramatic art form. His great gift was bringing talented people together to create masterpieces that could only be accomplished through a huge team effort,” he says.
In October 2004, Miller founded Reflection Fine Art Gallery in the booming Uptown area of Dallas as a headquarters and launch pad for the Reflectionist art movement. Soon collectors were requesting commissioned pieces and galleries across the United States were clamoring to hang his work on their walls. Clients admire Miller’s unique ability to combine chromatic expression with a sculptor’s application of paint to create multi-dimensional images on canvas. The result is an emotional explosion of 3-D sculptural oils that creates a unique mood and signature ambiance.
“Oil has been a primary medium of painters for hundreds of years and has stood the test of time as an expressive and durable material. It has unique plastic qualities that allow me to create the organic, 3-D shapes for which I am most known. I implement traditional techniques for the under painting and then add the three-dimensional forms in a more sculptural application. I was fortunate to study ceramics in college and tend to think more in three dimensions rather than two. Oil out of the tube has a thickness and texture very similar to well aged clay, and I literally manipulate it with knives like a potter. The effect is to fully merge traditional oil painting with sculpture,” Miller explains.
On a balmy evening in September of 2008, Miller opened Samuel Lynne Galleries with co-owner and fellow artist, Philip J. Romano. Since then, the gallery has continued to exceed expectations and draw some of the most talented names in the art world, including Peter Max, Burton Morris and Michael Kalish. In 2009, Art Business News awarded the 11,100-square-foot gallery with its Best Gallery Design commendation. That same year, JD’s “Siena Park Irises” painting was selected for a special project featured in the July/August edition of Multihousing Professional Magazine. He was exclusively commissioned to paint a 5-foot by 8-foot oil-on-canvas painting for the lobby of the Siena Park Apartments in Arlington, Virginia. It was completed in early fall and will hang in the lobby of the minimalist building permanently.
While his successes are many, JD still looks back on his first interaction with a canvas with humility. “I remember my first experience painting as if it were yesterday,” muses the artist. “It was 16 years ago, and I was a professional musician married to a gifted painter. I would sit in her studio plucking on my guitar watching her paint, but I was never more than a back seat driver.” Then one night, his wife kicked him into gear and said, "Why don't you try it?” Never one to back down from a challenge, Miller jumped in with both feet and with guidance from his companion, he made his first painting. “The first color I put on the canvas was French Ultramarine Blue and it was a revelation. I realized at that moment that painting was what I had prepared my entire life to do. I put the guitar away for the next five years and painted six to seven days a week, 40-50 paintings per month in order to master the medium.” His fondness for oils helped him to develop a three-dimensional technique of applying paint en masse so the color literally rises up off the canvas. Miller says the method requires a lot of paint and extends the drying process but the results are worth the time and resources.
To keep his subject matter fresh and relevant, the artist takes frequent trips to exotic places like Costa Rica, the Caribbean, Jamaica and Mexico. “Costa Rica absolutely tops my list,” he says. “It is one of the Blue Zones on the planet where people live much longer than anywhere else. It’s a stunningly beautiful country with both east and west coasts - the warm Pacific in the west and the crystalline blue waters of the Caribbean in the east. With tropical rain forests, active volcanoes, rivers, and some of the most beautiful landscapes I have ever seen, what’s not to love?”
Picking his favorite travel destination isn’t difficult, but if you ask the painter which color he’s most fond of, you won’t find the answer as easily. “The bottom line is that I love all colors. In fact, I don't know of a color I don't like,” says Miller. “As a Reflectionist, I try to let the energy of the moment determine what I create, including the colors to express it fully.” Though seemingly ambivalent, the artist admits that he uses blues, reds and purples most often as foundational colors saying that the hues “speak” to him more often than others.
Examine a work from JD Miller and you can feel the energy reverberating from every inch of paint-infused canvas. It’s not uncommon to witness someone reaching out to touch the peaks and sweeping strokes of thick, glossy paint on his artwork. As gallery co-owner, Miller spends most of his time inside the walls of the sleek Dragon Street lair, either painting, meeting with collectors or interacting with those who venture into the gallery for the first time. In addition to having face time with the folks who hang his work on their walls, the artist takes great joy in the freedom to present the work exactly as he feels it should be presented.
“I am fortunate to not only showcase my and partner Philip J. Romano's work, but many other talented artists as well. Samuel Lynne Galleries represents artists who have an exceptional vision and who contribute to the best of 21st Century art. Our staff serves as the educated connection between a collector and the artists. It’s quite gratifying to see how happy people are when they acquire a work of art they fall in love with,” says Miller. Thanks to Miller and Romano’s venture, falling in love is easier to do in your own backyard. “People no longer have to travel to New York or Santa Fe to find great art. It's right here in Dallas,” he says.
