Artist brings focus to flowers

Winning a Kodak photography contest with a photo of her daughter decades ago began a fortuitous chain of events for local artist Susan Miles. It gave her the confidence to start her own children's photography business, which led eventually to her artistic career as a photographer, sculptor, and painter.

Miles began focusing on photographing flowers by lying on the ground using a camera with an extended lens which resulted in a "macro" close-up of the flower. The technique calls for some amount of faith in the outcome by the artist as only part of the flower is in focus when the photo is taken.

This suits Miles, who likes the surprises.

"I consider myself an intuitive artist, not a realist. Many of my works are happy accidents," she said.

The unexpected death of her daughter, Janice, at age 22 from a heart condition changed the way Miles looked at art. It brought a healing aspect to the photos that was helpful to her in the grieving process. She discovered that they had the effect of representing different human emotions and feelings that she was experiencing.

Her desire to share this healing effect resulted in her photos being part of a cancer clinic project and also used to assist people who are in counseling therapy.

"A psychologist purchased a series of my photographs that he placed on the wall in his office," said Miles. "He later told me that he has patients come into the office and point at a flower photo and say that is how I feel today."

Miles attended Marylhurst University in Portland and graduated with an Art degree in 1999. A cancer survivor, Miles was diagnosed with ovarian cancer three months before her graduation. Although the cancer has reappeared over the ensuing years, she is now cancer-free.

"It takes energy to produce art and to promote and sell it," she said. "I have to take sabbaticals during chemotherapy treatments because I don't have the energy. My work has always been about healing."

Miles also sculpts tall, thin, human figures created from metal rods and plaster of paris. The figures are coated with gold leaf to represent spirit and painted with oils to represent the connection all people share.

"I believe that art brings together all the invisibles," she said.

Her third medium in art, in which she uses old Polaroid SX-70 cameras, comes with its own hobby. No longer produced, Miles must find the cameras at shops, garage sales, and by asking everyone she knows if they have one. Stockpiling the film is also a necessity.

"My son found 80 rolls of film in Australia and I have them stashed in the refrigerator." Miles said. "It is fortunate that I have 500 or so photos that I have not printed, because since Polaroid stopped making the film it is extremely hard to find. I also have to duct tape together the cameras I have to keep them working."

The technique involves manipulating the images on the still warm and fluid photos with a toothpick. Miles makes wavy lines and distorts portions of the image before it dries. She then prints it onto canvas and frames it without glass to create a "painting-like" finished piece.

Coming to Central Oregon to visit from Portland for over 30 years, Miles and her husband, Emmons, moved to Sisters in 2006. Her work has appeared in galleries in California, Oregon and Barbados. For more information visit her Web site at http://www.paintingwithpolaroids.com