Raquel P Miller
What if we leapt and let the universe be our net?Watercolor and acrylic ink on Arches 140lb cold press, 8" x 10", 2023
Do you remember when we dreamed of a mountain house? Watercolor and acrylic ink on Arches 140lb cold press, 8" x 10", 2023
Raquel P Miller (she/her) was born and adopted from Cuenca, Ecuador. Raquel is an artist living and working in Biddeford, Maine. Through painting, she is interested in unearthing the unexpressed and revealing what cannot be seen–exploring emotions, memory, grief, and dreams. She received a BA in English with minors in Studio Art and Spanish from the University of Southern Maine in 2017. In 2022, she was awarded a BIPOC Fellowship at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts. Residencies include SPACE Gallery in Portland, Maine, and Indigo Arts Alliance’s Black Seed Studio Residency where she was a David C. Driskell Fellow. Her work has been displayed online, in New York at Collarworks (Troy), Deanna Evans Projects (NYC), in Washington at Soil Gallery (Seattle), and throughout Southern Maine at the Harlow, Engine, Buoy Gallery, New System Exhibitions, 82 Parris, Alice Gauvin Gallery, Waterville Creates, and UNE Art Gallery.
Flowers for me, for you, Watercolor on Khadi paper, 26.75 x 20”, 2023
Ritual, Watercolor on Khadi, 26.75 x 20”, 2023
What are you currently working on?
My work is currently focused around an arched, altar-like shape that explores the shape as a window, door, altar, or threshold. I am interested in the ways I can memorialize my memories, grief, and dreams in this shape as I evaluate where I am in relation to it. Am I inside looking out, looking in, or am I straddling both worlds, neither in one or the other?
Crescent Altar, 2024, Watercolor on paper, 6.25" x 9"
Moon Altar: A place to remember, 2024, Textile paint on fabric, 8" x 11"
You have a pretty distinct color palette, what role does color play in your work?
When I was younger, my mother used to tell me that I could wear any color I wanted. And it took me a long time to embrace that. I find myself in my painting, also striving for freedom with the colors I use, and even allowing myself to really indulge in a color palette I am drawn to. I love working with deep blues for the way they can become the endless depths of a sky that I can place my work within. Pairing these ultramarines, indigos, and anthraquinones with the warmth of a violet, or the striking glow of a pale yellow or chartreuse, or green gold, allows me to ground the work back to the earth, back-to-plant motifs, or light.
Looking to the sky when the lightning strikes, Acrylic ink on Arches 140lb cold press paper, 8" x 6", 2022
Untitled, Acrylic ink on Arches 140lb cold press paper, 8" x 6", 2022
Does the Maine landscape inspire your work in any way?
Definitely. I have such reverence for this land, Unceded Wabanaki Land, for its beauty and seasonality. I’ve grown up here, and I work really chronologically and respond to shifting seasons in my work. So as the earth becomes greener, so does my work. I connect to the movements and growth of plants and use them as a symbol in my work, so the Maine landscape never ceases to be a source of inspiration and connection in that sense.
Cadillac Mountain at Sunset, Neocolor I Wax Oil Pastel on Jaipur Handmade Paper, 9" x 11.5", 2020
Burial, Acrylic ink on Strathmore Mixed Media Paper, 6" x 8", 2022
How do you find creativity and inspiration when you are in a rut?
I like to go on walks, I read, and I write. Recently, I have embraced these feelings of “rut” as reasons to rest, falling into other practices. With that, I always find my way back to my art.
Believing we will see each other again, Acrylic ink on Fabriano Artistico 300 lb Cold Press Paper, 30" x 22", 2022
Untitled, Acrylic ink on Arches 140lb cold press paper, 7" x 5", 2022
How does your art practice influence other elements in your life?
In the way that I am looking at the world, observing, noticing, articulating. It’s in everything I do. I see myself most clearly in my artwork. And it’s always funny how life starts to sprinkle in signs that feel synchronous with my work. Those moments always help me to see that I am on the right path. Shapes start to echo in the clouds, in the bark of a tree, or the book I am reading will suddenly reference something that I am thinking about. It’s all about these synchronicities and reflections.
Self portrait I can fit in the palm of my hand, Watercolor on Legion Multimedia Aquarelle Paper, 4" x 3”, 2021
Is there anything you know about being an artist that you wish you could share with your younger self?
Simply put: that you can be.
What are you looking forward to about this upcoming summer?
Swimming, kayaking, summer concerts, lounging in the sun, painting.
Picking violets with Esper on a Flower Moon, Watercolor on Khadi paper, 9” x 7.25”, 2023
Lilac bush under a crescent moon, Watercolor on Khadi paper, 7-⅜ x 9-⅛, 2023
Do you have any upcoming projects or exhibits that you are excited about?
I will have works in an upcoming show, Strawberry Moon, at Gallery B in Castine, Maine alongside some incredible Maine artists. The show brings together Maine artists in an homage to celestial wonders and the ripening moon. I will also be collaborating with A CLEARING for their upcoming cycle of A Possible Practice.
Untitled Meteor, 2024, Textile paint on fabric, 15.5" x 23"
Is there anything else you would like to share about yourself, your art, or your practice?
I write a monthly newsletter! It’s probably the place I share the most about my art, process, and practice. It’s a place I curate myself, can share photos, and thoughts. It’s always free and always colorful. You can sign up at the bottom of my website, or read through the links I share on my Instagram.
SPEEDWELL SPOTLIGHT is a series that focuses on living New England artists AND International artists, living and deceased, who we believe deserve greater attention. Our featured artists are all emblematic of our mission and sometimes will include emerging artists whose work is especially remarkable. Through these highlights, we hope to expand appreciation of the work of these significant artists well beyond the capacity of our physical walls.