Artist bio

Biography Cody F. Miller is a mixed media artist who resides in Columbus, Ohio. He works with magazine collage, acrylic paint, and charcoal. The patterns and odd configurations he stumbles upon are an integral part of conveying the endless layers of humanity. An old 1885 second grade reader or letters from a father to his son during World War II are collected and stored for the next piece. The Scriptures, the writings of Thomas Merton and the music of Tom Waits are all important influences in Cody’s work. They are ingredients in creating, as Ben Myers says, a “horizon of this dark world where we glimpse the startling first glow of dawn, the surprising appearance of grace ‘out of the depths’ (Psalm 130:1).” Metaphors, analogies, and other related devices are used to convey beauty that often comes disguised as a loss, failure, or unwelcome change. Cody F. Miller’s work has been shown in numerous exhibits, such as “Havana/ConnectArt” in Matanzas, Cuba, “The Best of 2019” at the Ohio Craft Museum and the Springfield Museum, Solo Exhibition, “Sojourners,” at the Hayley Gallery in New Albany, Ohio, “In Close Proximity” at the Cultural Arts Center, “From the Familiar to the Unfamiliar” at the Ohio Art League, “Glory Be” at the Johnson Humrickhouse Museum and “Annual Acquisitions” at the Viewpoint Gallery in Schenectady, New York. He is represented by the Hudson Gallery in Sylvania, Ohio and the Sharon Weiss Gallery in Columbus, Ohio Miller received an Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Award in 2002 and 2018, the Collector’s Award for Excellence at the Ohio Craft Museum’s “The Best of 2019,” Juror’s Choice 2D Award at the 2018 Columbus Arts Festival, Best of Show in 2001 and 2012 at the Westerville Arts Festival. Cody was the art instructor at United Cerebral Palsy for 16 years and is currently a resident artist at the Goodwill Art Studio.

Title

The Struggle

Medium/Genre

Mixed Media

Artist Statement

The design is created with cut paper, deconstructed silk screen, paint markers, charcoal, and acrylic paint.
I always start with a sketch and then let the materials I've collected over the years redirect my original intentions.
Works that I create that are initially perceived as dark are almost always the ones that hit the deepest nerve with my customers of a different worldview.Rich conversations always ensue. I'm happy with this one and am excited to see how God might use this humble offering.

How it fits into contest

The Struggle
Ephesians 6:12

Sometimes the spiritual forces of darkness seem like a blitzkrieg of unbeatable giants. At times they’ve overtaken me; they yawn at how easy it is. My prayers are elementary; I have a white-knuckled grip on the fact that maybe God will come and reason with me there. And I wait.
As in most dark places, if I sit long enough, I start to see things. There’s the outline of the sofa, the end tables, and an origami crane my son made. I slowly walk through the house to light a candle. When lit, this small flame illuminates everything.
I can see individuals throughout history who have imitated the expensive, painful, beautiful and powerful love of Christ. Martin Luther King Jr. fought the cancer of racial bigotry that had infected America for centuries through nonviolence and civil disobedience. Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu set up the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to diffuse the pattern of revenge one oppressed race took over another. They insisted that the country needed healing even more than it needed justice. Their actions demonstrated that they knew that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the . . . powers of this dark world . . .” (Ephesians 6:12) In all their vulnerability, they, like millions of others, put on the full armor of God and fought for God’s kingdom.

Credits

Me, Myself,and I

How to Purchase this Artwork

The image is an original on a cradle board 24x24x2 with hanging wire attached. The potential inquiry can contact me through email cody@codyfmiller.com or phone 614-263-5680.

Other Goods & Services Available from this Artist

I work on commissions throughout the year. Some are closely based off of paintings that were recently purchased.

Submit Your Artwork Today!

Curious? Interested in submitting artwork to our contest? Know someone who might be? Through April 14th, 2022, the Engage Art Contest is open to the whole world! Get your foot in the door by claiming your Artist Page now!