148 http://www.AmericanArtCollector.com
AWARD
WINNER123A
ustralian artist Philip Miles has been
drawing and painting since child-
hood, but began to focus on art seriously
in 2008. And he’s been painting profes-
sionally ever since. “I have always loved
landscapes and much of my work tries
to capture the landscapes of the places
I have lived in Australia, the U.S. and
Japan,” he says.
The artist works with oils in the realist
tradition, but doesn’t confine himself to
one particular style. “I work between the
poles of very detailed work (inspired by my
study of technical drawing early in high
school) and more painterly or abstracted
approaches (inspired by my study of art
later in high school).”
Miles works in his studio, rather than
plein air, which he says allows him to
devote more attention to composition. His
oil painting Young Snow Gums is a simple,
yet effective composition depicting a tree
amid fresh snow. “I have always loved snow
and recently took a trip to the Australian
Snowy Mountains area to get photographs
to use for paintings. This painting is a
simple first step in doing several more
and was designed to help me think about
technique and color issues,” he says.
In another painting, Out for a Walk,
an echidna rustles through an open area
near a beach Miles had visited shortly
after the 2020 bushfires near his home
in Australia. “The leaf area was done withodorless turps as the medium, which
gives a fairly flat finish. The echidna
was then done using linseed oil medium,
which helped give it more shape and
character. The challenge was makingsure the two styles blended well.”
He has won numerous awards
throughout his career, and more of his work
can be seen on Facebook by searching
“Philip Miles Artist.”Focused Compositions
Miles was the Third Prize award winner in International Artist magazine’s Challenge No. 124, Landscapes.PHILIP MILES
New South Wales, AU • [email protected]1
Philip Miles in
his studio.
2
Young Snow Gums,
oil, 24 x 30"
3
Out for a Walk,
oil, 25 x 38"