My name is Hannah Aliese Miller, and I am an art Educator, born and raised in SC. I create realistic, detailed art about topics such as mental health and relationships through a variety of methods, most commonly oil painting.
Characteristics that define my work include deep meaning accompanied by symbolism as well as portraiture. Including personal narratives and sharing about my life is a constant attribute of my work. Topics typical of my pieces include mental health and relationships. I tend to create work with darker hues and serious tones. These are most often oil paintings that are realistic, detailed, and have intentional texture. Symbolism is another method I use to convey the meanings in my work. By sharing my story and the hope I’ve found, I take a step towards helping people feel seen and understood. In addition to this, I create these works to express my own emotions in a way that helps me to understand myself better. As an art educator, I plan to provide this cathartic experience to my students. I create a classroom environment where students are free to express themselves in a unique and personal way as well as be thinkers and designers.
Looking back, what advice would you give yourself?
If I could repeat my whole college career, I would take advantage of the studio spaces sooner. During my final two years at AU, I truly enjoyed the late nights spent in the painting studio, listening to music, and watching my work come to life. The advice I would give to my freshman self would be to jump right in and begin using the spaces, to worry less about what people think of me, and to work with my own processes.
What's your favorite A+D memory?
My best memory of A + D was when I was creating a 3-D portion to add to a painting. I borrowed my friends who are couples and cast them holding hands in plaster wraps. We laughed so much trying to find the correct poses to hold hands in and then sit there for twenty minutes while holding it. Afterward, adding the plaster casts made my painting even more personal and real. Every time I see my painting now, I’m reminded of my friends and the good times we’ve had.
What was your favorite A+D class? My favorite classes have always been my painting classes. Besides learning that I love mixing colors and working with realism and intricate detail, it was in these classes that I fine-tuned my process of telling a story in my work. The “tornado painting” was a pivotal moment in my Art & Design career. In this painting, I took my own feelings and emotions and put them on a canvas. In sharing these feelings, I found a group of people who could relate and felt seen by what I had created. This moment taught me that I could make an impression on others and connect with my viewers on a personal level.
hat moment, project, and/or critique in your Art + Design career at AU has been pivotal to who you are as an artist or creator?
I remember my very first foundations lectures as extremely exciting. While, as a night owl, the 8 a.m. classes were brutal, it was during these lectures that I knew I was going to become an art nerd. Each new vocab word and technique I learned increased my curiosity to learn more, create more, and apply more. These lectures set a charged and ready tone for the rest of my A + D career.
What's next for you?
After graduation, I will be teaching elementary art at McKissick Academy of Science and Technology in Pickens County.
How do you hope your work makes an impact?
How do you hope your work makes an impact? My goal is for my work to inspire my students to be unique in their creations. As an artist who paints ideas from my own life and feelings, I want to provide a forum for students to express their feelings as well. I want my students to be thinkers and problem-solvers. Creating and sharing my work that demonstrates intentional thought processes provides a testimony to my students. It demonstrates that they can create work that is unique to them and that can make an impact on their viewers.
Give us a preview of what you're working on for the Senior Show!