Artwork by Bruce Miller
Growing up in Germany I was exposed to oil painting at a young age ~11. My mother had a friend who painted in oils. I was fascinated and when my mother told me that this was NOT “Paint by number” I replied that I knew that, as I could see the blending of colors to form shapes. I subsequently was able to start a few “lessons” with this woman. My first painting attempt was of a ceramic penguin as part of a still life under this woman’s guiding eye. My fascination with painting continued through high school where I arranged not to “waste time” in Study Hall sessions but instead was able to spend 2-3 hours several times per week in the art room, in addition to my regularly scheduled art classes. …
… During those high school years attending a military family high school in Germany, I fantasized about attending the Art Students League in New York. In the end, my father was of the generation where “Real men” did not do art! So I was dissuaded from following painting as a career path and pursued the sciences. …
