Artist Focus: Ben Miller

Ben Miller began his Endangered Rivers series out of his deep passion for raising awareness about the importance of river preservation. The paintings, like the rivers themselves, are complex layers of color and transparency. Each work is created by thousands of singular casts with a fly rod—Miller calls this process “Fly Cast Painting” and terms the differently shaped materials on the end of the rod “Fly Brushes.”

White Chuck River, acrylic on polycarbonate, 36 x 48 in.

Methow River, WA, 2025, acrylic on polycarbonate, 36 x 48 in.

In a sense, the paintings are made in reverse, with marks made on the back of a plexiglass panel. When turned around, the first strikes of paint represent surface reflections and whitewater rills. These highlights are then backed by successive color layers of deeper and darker forms. While his preparation is calculated, the execution must be spontaneous and instinctual. He must first find the right spot, then read the river and the day. Miller’s stated goal for these works is to mark down the truth of a river, not something he thinks it should be.