Australian artist Philip Miles has been drawing and painting since childhood, but began to focus on art seriously in 2008. And he’s been painting professionally ever since. “I have always loved landscapes and much of my work tries to capture the landscapes of the places I have lived in Australia, the U.S. and Japan,” he says.
Philip Miles in his studio.
The artist works with oils in the realist tradition, but doesn’t confine himself to one particular style. “I work between the poles of very detailed work (inspired by my study of technical drawing early in high school) and more painterly or abstracted approaches (inspired by my study of art later in high school).”
Young Snow Gums, oil, 24 x 30"
Miles works in his studio, rather than plein air, which he says allows him to devote more attention to composition. His oil painting Young Snow Gums is a simple, yet effective composition depicting a tree amid fresh snow. “I have always loved snow and recently took a trip to the Australian Snowy Mountains area to get photographs to use for paintings. This painting is a simple first step in doing several more and was designed to help me think about technique and color issues,” he says. 
Out for a Walk, oil, 25 x 38"
In another painting, Out for a Walk, an echidna rustles through an open area near a beach Miles had visited shortly after the 2020 bushfires near his home in Australia. “The leaf area was done with odorless turps as the medium, which gives a fairly flat finish. The echidna was then done using linseed oil medium, which helped give it more shape and character. The challenge was making sure the two styles blended well.”
He has won numerous awards throughout his career, and more of his work can be seen on Facebook by searching “Philip Miles Artist.” —
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