Biography
Naive, folk or outside art, whatever the term
you use, with Charlie Miller you know the artwork all comes from the
heart.
Charlie was born at Vista, Manitoba (1936). He was
one of Jack and Isabel Miller's ten children. He grew up on a farm
and attended school at Vista.
Art was always one of his favorite subjects at school but Charlie never
pursued it further until he retired. When he finished school he went
on to obtain Millwright, Welder, Heavy Duty Mechanic and 3rd year
Machinist tickets. Charlie worked in industry, including nickel
mines, pulp and paper mills, and coal mines, for over thirty years until he
chose early retirement in 1990.
In 1965 Charlie and his wife Ethel moved to Hinton, Alberta.
Shortly after arriving they bought an acreage and two riding horses.
Soon after the riding horses, he needed a few pack horses to enable him
and Ethel to go out into the mountains on vacations. Each year part
of their vacation was spent out in the mountains.
"Many of Miller's paintings recall
horseback trips in Jasper National Park and the Willmore Wilderness
Area. But he's not limited in what he tackles, notes Ross Bradley,
arts development consultant, Alberta Community Development, "He
doesn't only paint cowboys by a campfire, he also does contemporary
images" (Gail Helgason, "Retired Hinton mechanic makes AFA
collection", Alberta Connections, Spring 99, 5).
Both being
interested in photography, many mountain scenes were captured on
film. Charlie referred to many of them in his paintings.
With the two riding horses and three pack horses, many miles were
travelled in the mountains of Jasper National Park and Willmore Wilderness
Park. Many of the funny and not so funny incidents that happened on
these trips came to life in his paintings.
It was not until 1990, when Charlie retired, that he found time to
paint. He decided he would take some art lessons and enrolled in oil
classes instructed by local artists Alicia Neilsen and Linda Wadley.
He also took lessons from Paul Braid, Jerry Heine and Ron Wigglesworth. He
preferred working with oils but found all instruction
very beneficial.
In 1991 he entered the Alberta Community Art Clubs Association (ACACA)
Northern Alberta Juried Art show and won the "Beginner's Award"
for his picture "Campin' At Brewster Wall". In 1993 and
1996 he won the Lillian Nunn Scholarship presented by ACACA. In 1994
he won the ACACA Martha Houston Scholarship for the painting "The
Frank Slide", which is now in the Alberta Foundation for the Arts
collection.
Each year since 1991, he entered the ACACA Northern Zone show and each
year Charlie had paintings go on to the Alberta Wide Show at the Red Deer
Museum and Art Gallery. He won "honorable mention" for
several paintings at these shows.
Charlie was an active member of the Hinton Art Club.
