A Night Out With M. Scott Miller

A Night Out with M. Scott Miller is a selection of recently completed works from Missoula artist M. Scott Miller. There are two evident concepts reflected in Miller’s new works. First, is the artist’s consistent selection of cityscapes and night scenes familiar to most Missoulians. Like the Impressionists, it is critical for the artist to capture a particular time and light.

To this end, Miller is consistent in this effort, as one magical moment after another grabs our attention helping us to look upon Missoula anew. What is so fresh in these works is that Miller has painted Missoula in a way that has not been painted before.

Second, is the expertise with which he handles the medium. The airbrush technique was popularized in the 1970s but is not a technique that is often seen anymore. Miller is an expert at not only limiting the palette to convey a particular evening moment but also consistently applying the paint for the right effect.

Miller states “Light and color are the two reasons for my love of painting. They make me feel a certain way. I grew up in Missoula. I’m a child of the seventies and a graduate of Sentinel High. Missoula was a wonderful and sometimes magical place to grow up in, but New York was calling and along with its promises was the school at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. Illustrating and other odd jobs for nearly two decades in New York City was an amazing experience. One for the young … From the moment I moved back to Missoula I was amazed again at the color and light and how beautiful my home town really is, especially at night.”