We were lucky to catch up with Sarah Vanasse Miles recently and have shared our conversation below.
Sarah , looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?
I think my work ethic comes from a combination of middle-child syndrome, growing-up surrounded by agriculture professionals, and being a Midwestern millennial. Somewhere in that personality cocktail blossomed my determination to work through all obstacles. I get up before the sun and get to work. I prioritize my health so I can give painting my best effort every day. I really want to be the best painter that I can be because I know it’s going to add a lot of value to my customers’ lives.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I’m a visual artist dedicated to the art an philosophy of oil painting. Many artists will agree that to develop your skill as a painter you must also have a healthy drawing practice. That’s why you will find so many original drawings along with oil paintings in my portfolio.
There is so much to love about being an artist. It gives me the permission to make intentional space and time to contemplate observations and feelings. It privileges me to play with imagination, design and story telling interactively. It my seat at the table in the conversation of visual artists happening around the world and throughout history.
Right now it’s winter and that means bulking up on inventory. On my immediate to-do list I have 10 fine art commissions. They include landscapes, portraits, buildings and contemporary renderings of renaissance motifs. I have a major creative project upcoming where I’ll finish 6 paintings in one month. Then it will be spring and summer which are heavy show seasons.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
It is invaluable to me to have cultivated and continue to cultivate the discipline of listening to the sound of the genuine in myself. It’s challenging to really know oneself; it’s even more challenging to listen to yourself. It takes great patience to steer the vessel of your life toward your desired outcome with little to no immediate gratification. Get used to being quiet with yourself and thankful for everything you have.
My network of friends and family is full of really loving supportive people. My brothers are my very good friends. They both run their own businesses and we talk often about strategy. My dad owns a business and I’ve learned a lot from him over the years. My best friend is also a business owner and our visits help me overcome obstacles and talk through growing pains. I suggest surrounding yourself with others trying to build.
Learning how to learn is imperative to me. I found a field that has a bottomless depth and will keep me entertained and engaged for the next 70 years. I feel like I haven’t even scratched the surface of everything I want to know in my field and I’ve not come close to running out of resources to tap. If you’re not in a field that stimulates you, you may want to consider why that is and why you’re in it.
Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?
I really love “The New Artist’s Manual.” It saved me hundreds of thousands of dollars from me not having to attend art school. Teach yourself how to do stuff. This is 2024, you can learn an entire PhD’s worth of knowledge by yourself. You just have to stay focused and make yourself a syllabus.
Contact Info:
- Website: sarahvanassemiles.com
- Instagram: sarahvanassemiles
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/sarahvanassemiles
- Linkedin: Sarah Vanasse Miles
- Other: TikTok: Sarah Vanasse Miles
