Today we’d like to introduce you to Valerie Milo.
Can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today. You can include as little or as much detail as you’d like.
I’ve always loved drawing and painting since I was a kid and I especially loved being outside in nature. I grew up in the huge city of Houston. There weren’t a lot of wild spaces but I loved climbing trees in my backyard. I’ve always been very sensitive and introverted. We were struggling with some issues at home. I had debilitating anxiety and panic attacks. There were times I couldn’t even leave my house. Drawing was my escape. Later as a young adult I learned about anxiety and I was able to manage it through education, yoga, and nutrition. Fortunately, I had some extraordinary art teachers who took me under their wing. I was so shy, I barely talked! I’m so grateful they saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself.
I didn’t do well in grade school, but I loved college because we were able to study topics in depth. Things I was really interested in. I studied Studio Art and worked for the Art Department at Houston Community College and then went on to the University of Houston. I received a Bachelors in Fine Arts in Painting and a Master of Art Education so that I could teach. I also took as many Art History classes as I could because I loved learning how and why artists make art.
Connecting art to real life is so fascinating to me! In my paintings now, I focus on the human nature connection in this time of climate change. I’m also currently working on an Art App with lessons to deepen our connection with nature. The lessons begin with walking and exploring in nature and then drawing and painting. The App will be called Pellegrina which means female pilgrim in Italian. I’m Italian, American and I’m fascinated with Italy!
Has it been a smooth road? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
No, it has not been a smooth road! I struggled and still struggle to maintain an art practice while being a busy mom and teacher. I used to feel ashamed of being so shy and sensitive. But as I learned about introversion and being a sensitive person, I learned we have some incredible strengths. I still tend to be an anxious person. I really have to work on it every day. But now I can use that sensitivity to deepen my art. I’ve used my anxiety to really learn about myself. I had to because I knew I couldn’t live like that. I love life too much!
Once I could manage my thoughts and my anxiety, I realized I could do anything! I love to travel because I love learning and looking at things. What I see and learn inspires my art. I was able to live and teach in Mexico, and I studied Art in Italy. I’ve traveled all over Italy with my husband and our two sons. And I can’t wait to travel even more! I think there’s a misnomer that quiet introverted people are dull and not ambitious. But that’s completely not true! It’s just a quiet ambition. I feel like I have a storm inside! I’m so very passionate. When I’m interested in something, I get really deep into it! I love researching.
I feel the most powerful when I’m in nature and painting in my studio. I want my art to be meaningful to other people but ultimately I love my art. I love thinking about it and making it. I feel like it’s the reason I’m here.
We’d love to learn more about your work. What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of? What sets you apart from others?
I always loved nature because it’s raw and exciting but also quiet and focused. When I’m in nature my senses are completely ignited! I struggle to be myself around people, but in nature I can be myself. Visually, I’ve always been more interested in organic forms over geometric forms. I’d much rather look at a tree than a building. Not that I don’t appreciate architecture or geometric patterns, I do. But organic shapes are where it’s at for me!
I didn’t realize how important nature was to me until I had my two sons. We were still living in Houston, and I had this idea that I would give them a little creative space next to me in my art studio. That didn’t happen! They would literally climb me and throw all the art supplies! I kind of gave up on making art for a while and I ended up taking them to the park every day. We would collect leaves, acorns, and ball moss and my mind was flooded with ideas for paintings. I think it’s really important for moms or anyone who is a caretaker and has a desperate need to make art, to realize that thinking about art is still an important part of making art. I was making art in my mind. And when my sons started school, I knew exactly what I wanted to paint.
First it was my Mother Earth series, where I painted large oil paintings on canvas. I painted nature as a female icon who speaks to us through the symbolism of the natural world. I grew up Italian, American and Catholic. There were always these dramatic iconic images in our churches. And I always found comfort in Mary as a powerful spiritual female figure. I’ve since expanded my spiritual beliefs. I’m very much a humanist and a realist, and I always refer to science for answers. But I also love symbolism, visual metaphors and mystery. And all my art is really about gratitude. I wanted to thank nature for helping me remember who I am. I want my work to call attention to our relationship to the natural world. And to help people remember who they are, that they are nature.
My sons were diagnosed with ADHD so nature is also important for them too. I highly recommend the book, Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv. That’s why we moved to Austin. So we could play and experience in wild spaces like forests and creeks. The wild spaces in nature represent for me, the wild spaces in ourselves, the beauty and complexity.
What are your plans for the future? What are you looking forward to or planning for – any big changes?
I will always be painting. I never have creative blocks! Instead I have thousands of reference photos and lists of series I can’t wait to work on! What I struggle with is finding the time to make my art with our busy lives with our now middle-schoolers! I love watching them grow as athletes and musicians. They play soccer and percussion. I have to schedule time for my painting because it requires me to be in the zone. And that time just flies! I could literally paint for 16 hours and keep going. The project I’m really excited about right now is my Art App that will have nature-inspired art lessons. I hope to launch it by end of summer. I’m learning Italian and I want to incorporate my explorations of Italy into the App as well. In Italy they pay attention to craftsmanship and beauty and I find that so inspiring!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://valeriemilo.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/valeriemilo.art/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/valeriemilo.art
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@valeriemilo4945/videos
