Diana Miller
Byron Bay-based abstract artist Diana Miller’s paintings and collages explore the connection between shape, form and colour.
Words: Hande Renshaw I Photography: Kate Holmes
The Best Of Times by Diana Miller. Main hero image: Detail of All The Hopes And Dreams by Diana Miller.
Byron Bay-based artist Diana Miller.
I Did Not See It Coming by Diana Miller.
‘I love the way painting brings me immense highs when things are flowing, contrasted with the days when each brushstroke brings mere frustration—it’s all part of the process and I’ve learnt to embrace and surrender to it,’ says Diana Miller.
‘You can be moved by an abstract work, but not understand why. As the elements are illusive and non-tangible, it’s hard to understand or express why you are drawn to it.’
Most tales of artistic calling begin with a childhood marked by an irrepressibly creative spirit, where a calling to pursue art and the pull to create is too strong to resist—as is the story of Byron Bay-based abstract artist, Diana Miller.
Growing up in Cape Town in the 1970s, Diana explored art in all forms; drawing, painting, collecting and making little objects. ‘My grandma was a landscape oil painter and my dad was a mad woodworker, so I grew up in the garage with him making little trinket boxes from his off-cut timber pieces,’ shares Diana.
After studying graphic design following high school, it was here that Diana garnered a graphic sensibility, drawn to shape and form—the influence still seen in in her paintings and collages today. ‘I seem to see the world in shapes and forms, my eyes are drawn to the spaces between things or the shapes that different forms create,’ she says. While some of her work is structured and built around geometry and shape, Diana also explores the opposite side of the spectrum, creating artwork that’s arbitrary, fluid, loose and spontaneous.
Today, in her studio in the Northern Rivers, Diana works quickly and intentionally, surrendering to the process and often letting the paint guide her. ‘I work best when I’m applying paint seemingly without thought. I like a work to feel complete without being overworked, and I feel with time I’m getting better at this,’ Diana says.
While her immediate environment doesn’t directly dictate her work, the proximity to Byron’s hinterland, ocean and blue skies subliminally impacts Diana’s paintings, seen through her application of colour choices and compositions. ‘My paintings intentionally embrace joy, optimism and beauty—they express who I am, living in this place,’ says Diana. ‘I feel like inspiration comes as I engage in the act of making, engrossed in my process. As marks start to form and things start to sing, I get excited, and this is where I feel the most inspiration,’ she adds.
As for many artists, some days the creative process is effortless and somewhat ‘easy’, while other times, it can be a lot more challenging. 'I love the way painting brings me immense highs when things are flowing, contrasted with the days when each brushstroke brings mere frustration—it’s all part of the process and I’ve learnt to embrace and surrender to it,’ she says.
For Diana, abstract art is a curious endeavour that’s open to interpretation by the viewer, depending on their perspective. ‘You can be moved by an abstract work, but not understand why, as the elements are illusive and non-tangible, it’s hard to understand or express why you’re drawn to it… I love that. Everyone will see something different in the same piece and it will evoke a different response.’
Looking forward, Diana will be participating in the RM Williams and Curatorial+Co. collaboration, Art in Residence, at the RM Williams Sydney flagship store in June, followed by a group exhibition at Art Kind Gallery, in Byron Bay. ‘Once I’ve finished these projects, I’d like to spend some time focusing on another passion and aspect of my creative, which is 3D wall assemblage.’
‘I make a lot of experimental collages and paint sketches and shapes from these often make their way into my paintings'.’
The Unravelling by Diana Miller.
“I seem to see the world in shapes and forms—my eyes are drawn to the spaces between things or the shapes that different forms create.”
Entanglement by Diana Miller.
‘Once a painting gets to a certain stage it starts to take on its own life and seems to take control of its destination.’