Photograph by Paul Myers
Stacey Miller prepares her show, 'Escapes: Landscapes in Chalk Pastel' at the Aegis Gallery in Saratoga. The show runs through Aug. 26.
Landscapes are escapes for local artist
By Shari Kaplan
For Stacey Miller of Campbell, the words "landscape" and "escape" are not only rhymes, they're practically synonyms. That's because whenever the self-described "full-time psychiatric social worker and part-time artist" needs an escape from the rigors of her job or the bustle of life in Silicon Valley, she turns to landscapes--both to visit and to paint.
Some of these are now on display through Aug. 26 at Aegis Gallery of Fine Art, located at 14531 Big Basin Way in the Saratoga Village. "Escapes" is Miller's first art show. Nearly all of the canvases, save for a few that portray places in Moab, Utah, depict a variety of her favorite outdoor haunts in Northern California. All are done in pastel, which she says she enjoys because it gives the vibrant colors of oil paints, but lacks the "interruptive pauses" required for oils to dry.
Among the places Miller takes viewers in her Aegis exhibit are Santa Teresa Park, North Skyline Ridge, South Skyline Open Space Preserve, Long Ridge Open Space Preserve, Fremont Older Open Space Preserve and the old Fort Ord area on the Monterey coast.
Her subject matter naturally varies from piece to piece, but certain themes are evident. Among them are scenic vistas as viewed from hiking or biking trails; meadows of tall, swaying grasses; hard boulders contrasting with the soft fields in which they lie; brightly blooming wildflowers like poppies and lupine; and windswept evergreen trees.
"I haven't had much luck with drawing on-site. It's hard to get the supplies out there, and then it's uncomfortable to work without the studio set up," says Miller, who rides a rugged mountain bike on her outdoor excursions. "I prefer to take pictures. After a trip to the one-hour photo processor, I can begin to work on the images while the feel of the place is still fresh."
Miller adds that what attracts her to the artistic process is the sense of adventure it brings, especially because she says she's not really the type to plan or visualize a piece of art beforehand.
"I don't worry too much about being realistic. I'm more concerned about capturing the feel of an image than accurately reproducing it. It's an exploration, and I'm usually surprised by the outcome," she explains.
A surprising outcome is in fact what led to Miller doing art part-time rather than professionally. An artist and art aficionado since her teenage years, Miller says she intended to major in art in college, but ended up majoring in psychology after being lured by the psychology course she took as a general education requirement. She did, however, minor in her first love--art.
Aegis Gallery of Fine Art's hours are Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Thursday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. For more information, call 408.867.0171 or visit www.aegisgallery.com on the Internet. Miller's own website is at staceym.home.netcom.com.
Saratoga, California Since 1955
