Max Miller

I chose to pursue post-undergraduate studies in a more classical tradition in Florence, Italy.  At Charles H. Cecil Studios students are trained in a regimented process that mirrors the atelier traditions of previous centuries.  It is my goal to assimilate the classical teachings of the atelier method with a more modern mode of thought, thus achieving a synthesis of old and new.

            My paintings are often thematically influenced by my dreams.  I find the sleeping state to be a cache of inspiration, whether a painting idea comes to me fully realized or as a fleeting vision that stays with me and grows into an image later.  I am constantly chasing ‘truth’ in my work and that has led me to develop what I call ‘metaphysical realism.’ 

The paintings I create are not only a visual record of a person, or a group of people, but illustrations of more than just their physical aspect.  By bringing metaphysical elements such as thoughts and interactions into the visual field, I feel I am more accurately representing the truth of the scene or the person depicted, and telling a more complete story.