Artist Ben Miller shares how a childhood spent fishing the rivers of Darrington, Washington, eventually led him to create Fly-Cast Painting, a process that uses a fly rod and handmade “fly brushes” to paint rivers. He reflects on teaching art, leaving a comfortable path behind, and using his work to bring people together around rivers, streams, and the stories connected to them.
Ben Miller grew up in Darrington, Washington, where his father encouraged him and his brothers to get outside, and where fishing, rivers, mountains, and imaginative play became part of daily life. His grandfather introduced him to fly fishing at eight years old, and Ben remembers tying early flies from materials he could find and experiencing the excitement of seeing a fish strike near his fly for the first time. In high school, Ben played football, basketball, and baseball, while a teacher encouraged his imaginative ideas through a school feature called “Ben’s World.” He later attended Washington State University, chose to pursue art, and found that his strength often began with the concept and story behind a piece. After earning his teaching degree, Ben returned to Darrington and taught high school art for 12 years, but eventually realized that the years were blending together and that he wanted a different story for his life. While painting trout and river stones at home, a conversation with his older brother Sam sparked the idea of painting with a fly rod; an early experiment with a paint-covered sock convinced him there was something worth pursuing. Ben developed that experiment into Fly-Cast Painting, using materials associated with fly tying to create “fly brushes,” casting paint onto acrylic, and often working directly beside the rivers he is depicting. He describes the process as both a creative practice and a way to connect people with bodies of water, including through gatherings where conservation groups and other participants share stories about the rivers that matter to them. Ben says he wants to expand the art world, bring different cultures into stories around streams, create something that was not there before, and ultimately be known as someone who brought positivity into the world.
Links:
Ben Miller: https://benmillerartist.com/
MASS MoCA: https://massmoca.org/
Washington State University: https://wsu.edu/