Based in Evergreen, Colorado, artist Julianne Miller specializes in pastel images of tranquil, “captured” scenes and moments. Whether her subject is a prairie landscape, children playing on the porch or a rainy urban street, her works are characterized by vibrant recreations of natural lighting and shadows, peacefully evocative moods, and universally recognizable settings. Routinely, those who see Julianne’s pieces offer such comments as, “That looks just like the lane I used to run down when I was a kid.”

Julianne’s career as a fine artist began not as a result of planning, but of circumstance. As a youth, she fancied commercial art instead; she studied it at the university level and embarked on a career that endured 20 years. Then, a decade ago, her mother passed away from cancer. Just before her family drove away from the newly emptied house in Ohio, her husband Rick went in for one last look-around. He found two shoebox-sized cases, and brought them out to the motor home. Those cases held her mother’s trusted collection of pastels. Julianne began using those pastels as a diversion from her grief. She occupied her mind with shapes, light, color, and moments. Whenever friends stopped by, they couldn’t help noticing her work. Repeatedly they urged her, “You should show these.” Eventually, she did.

Julianne prefers pastels because they exhibit vibrancy, and allow unique color effects. She enjoys being able to mix pastels directly on the paper, as opposed to using oils or acrylics where one must mix the colors on the palette. She also appreciates how pastels allow her to embellish colors, making a scene appear more surreal and beautiful. Her influences include artist Greg Storer, who taught her how to use her mother’s pastels; Desmond O’Hagen, whose pastel urban scenes inspired her with their signature looseness; and Kim English, who has caused her to see oil painting with fresh eyes. Of course, Julianne’s greatest influence was her mother, who introduced her to the many fascinating worlds of art when she was a child.

Sadly, Julianne had to rely on her mother’s pastels one more time when shortly after her mother's death, her husband Rick was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. As he went through chemo and eventually departed, she endured through her explorations of colors and moments. “It’s been such a gift to have this release,” she says. “It’s also a gift because my work brings other people joy.”