Spotlight on Philly’s own Britt Miller

Two things I have always loved are art and Philadelphia.  Art has infinite forms and is unique to everyone who observes it and I suppose Philadelphia is just the same.  A few years ago I found myself mesmerized when I stumbled upon a piece of art via Twitter from a young artist right out of the City of Brotherly Love.  Britt Miller, a 28 year old Philadelphia resident, first caught my eye with a painting of the Philly skyline with the Delaware River and Ben Franklin Bridge in the foreground.  It gave me that sense of joy when you get to the bridge and you know in just a moment you’ll be loose in the city.

Britt tells me, “The first time I painted the Philadelphia skyline was in college when a friend who went to Drexel asked me to paint her one.  After I did that, another friend asked me to paint one for him, and I thought that I may be on to something.  I really enjoy painting the Philly skyline, it’s something that everyone from this area immediately recognizes and con connect with.”

Though her primarily acrylic artwork is varied, there’s something magical to the Philadelphia scenes.  “As far as keeping it fresh and interesting, I am constantly getting inspiration from things around me, so each skyline I do is going to be inspired by something a little different.  I love painting bright flowers, the Philly LOVE statue, and various other scenes.  I paint things that I like, and hope that other people find those objects beautiful and inspiring as well.”

For someone as young and ambitious as Britt, you may be surprised to know that art isn’t her day job.  With an International MBA from Temple University, Britt is currently a project director at a Software as a Service company in Conshohocken.  “I do the majority of my painting at night and hang my shows after work or on the weekends.  Managing work, art and everything else (Britt also trains for marathons) definitely requires coordination and planning.”

While I’m hoping to get to a place where I can afford one of Britt’s originals, the prices aren’t thrift shop finds for sure.  I asked Britt about how she developed the confidence to price her work the way she does.  “I try to keep the price of my work in line with other artists in the area.  Gallery owners are great sounding boards when it comes to pricing because they deal with so many artists; they know the market.”  By no means am I suggesting that the tags are too steep, but be prepared to shell out $1-2k for an original piece.  Britt does quickly add, “I like to make prints available on my site for those who love my art but aren’t ready to make the investment of an original piece. I want my work to be accessible to a wide range of people.”

You are indeed making an investment.  Britt’s work has been featured on a truffle box at Teuscher Chocolates in the Bellvue.  “I did all of the set artwork for CBS3’s Talk Philly and was interviewed on the show.  I was on the cover of the 2013 Philadelphia Business Journal Book of Lists, and my work was used for all of the NBC10 2012 client holiday gifts.”  Ms. Miller is really coming into her own and I encourage you to take a look at all she has to offer.  She says, “These opportunities were great because it’s nice to be recognized for the work you’re doing on such a large scale.”

There are pieces on display and events happening all over the region that you can take in Britt’s work.  “Right now my work is showing at La Va Cafe on 21st and South in Philadelphia.  It will be hanging until the end of March.  The best way to find out about upcoming shows would be to checkout my website and follow me on Twitter.  For prints, phone cases, tote bags, and other fun things, check out my Society6 page.”

If you are as smitten as I was and continue to be, check out BrittMillerart.com, it has links to her prints and social media sites where you can keep track of what Britt has going on.  And if you’re sitting on a couple grand and want to hook me up with a wedding present, I’ll happily take a sunset over the Ben Franklin and Philly skyline.  In the mean time, I’ll keep taking in the sites and beauty Britt Miller continues to produce.

The work that drew author Luke Ottinger, Jr. to Britt Miller’s work.