First things first, what’s the name of your business and what kind of things do you create? What medium do you typically work in?
My "business" name is Rae Miller Art (check out my website at Rae Miller Art and follow me on Instagram at rae_miller) but you can call me Rae. My art has been an evolving process. Most of my work is pen, ink, and paint. I’m branching out more by learning new mediums. I’m taking my second neon class this summer. I also like playing with found materials. Last year I completed a welding course where everything I created was made from scrap around the shop.
What made you interested in doing a collaboration with Resident?
I love the whimsical element of the geometric animal sculptures. I’ve also been making a lot of patterns as a method of meditation and practice. Applying these patterns to the animal “hide” was an intriguing idea.
"I love the whimsical element of the geometric animal sculptures."
This is the 2D print Rachel designed that we turned into the sculpture
Walk us through your design process for this specific creation - what influenced the final work?
It varied depending on the pattern. I thought of patterns that would look good on an organic object and could be appreciated even in segments
Did you run into any challenges when creating a design for a 3D paper product?
Even though this will be a 3D sculpture, my work was still very much in the 2D realm. It would be interesting to see if there was a higher level of customizability based on how the animal is constructed.
If you had to choose one Resident to hang out with (or to hang in your house!) who would it be?
Probably James the Owl. I’ve always been drawn to owls for their beauty and that they thrive in darkness.
Any podcast, album or show suggestions for our community to check out while they build their next Resident?
Honestly, NPR is always a good go to. Subject matter always changing, and it keeps me engaged. A few of my current favorite podcasts: Soooo many white guys, 99% invisible, Radiolab, and This American Life.
What are you working on next?
I've got lots of art in the works! I am working on collaborations with a couple artist peers. I’m also participating in #the100dayproject aiming to draw and write daily. Be sure to check out my Instagram (@rae_miller) which is dedicated to the artistic works.