I’m not a famous artist, but I still thought it might be fun to share the very personal story behind my signature. The signature for any artist has purpose and meaning. Signing a name to a piece is a statement, a claim. I never sign a piece until I deem it finished and when and if it “says what I want it to say.” I want to make sure it represents me or is of a quality to which I want my name attached. Perhaps that says a lot about me. Read into it what you will. I’m to the age now where I’m comfortable with “what you see is what you get,” or at least I try to be. And, I’m realizing that even when I thought I was working so hard to please and to perform and to look perfect to all onlookers, it never really worked. Anywho, what I was saying was that this signature is intentional. I chose to just use an M and not Mandy. As weird as it may seem, I think it matters that someone doesn’t know if one of my pieces was created by a male or female. I think people make assumptions either way. It is best to keep it a mystery. Sad to say, but I do think it matters. I don’t just sign Mandy, although I have been known to. I sign “Miller" because I could never do all I do and certainly not paint all I paint if it were not for the love and support and encouragement of my husband, Jack. His hard work allows me to stay home and to follow my passions as a creative. I chose to use all caps and include one lower case “e” for many, many reasons. I will attempt to briefly explain my reasoning.
One reason I use an “e” is because after I had a miscarriage, I went to a women’s event. This event was all about quiet time and prayer. We were asked to sit in silence for an extended time. We could journal and draw and paint or read or whatever we wanted to do other than talk. The one thing that kept coming to my attention was this little fiber from my sweater that I was wearing. This fiber was in the shape of an “e”and at the center of my chest. We were taught to document anything that caught our attention during this quiet time. I thought it seemed really weird at the time, but I drew a box on my paper and drew an “e” in the middle of it and that was that. I did not think of it again until I got home and replaced the books I had taken to the event back into the bookcase. A book I did not even know we owned caught my attention. This book was Scribbling in the Sand by Michael Card. The women that day at the event had mentioned sand a few times, so I curiously removed it from the shelf and flipped through the pages. The very first page I flipped to was the one I’ve attached below. It took my breath away and caused me to drop to my knees. It just seemed too crazy and too coincidental. Not too long after that the “e’s” began to show up in the weirdest places. I started documenting them because they seemed so out there.
Aother reason I include the “e” is that my grandmother’s name was Evelyn which obviously starts with an “e”. She enjoyed painting. I used to paint watercolors with her when we were together. She passed away just as I was studying all about painting and just beginning to paint as an adult. After her funeral, I walked all over her backyard documenting with photos a place that meant so much to my little girl heart. The garden hose was out in the middle of the yard as if it had just been used. The photo I took of the hose was in the shape of an “e”. This was like a sign to me. See, this is an example of the “e’s” just popping up. In both difficult and happy times, I always seem to find random things in the shape of “e’s”. I’ve also found several scrabble tiles with the same on them. One time, while volunteering in children’s church, I was given an “E” from a child sitting next to me who must have snatched it and saved it and held onto it the entire morning. I told her to return it, but she insisted it was meant for me. Months after my grandmother died, my mother and sister sent me painting supplies that belonged to my grandmother including the exact metal watercolor set we used to paint together. (all of these things happen to hang in my office/studio). The timing of receiving those items was exactly during a women’s study I was teaching that I had written about documenting our faith and learning to live our lives in the world as living as if we were in the studio of God himself. It was called In His Studio and it was after this study that I began painting because I had done so much research about painting and met a new friend that happened to be an oil painter. The items were delivered the evening I finished teaching the lesson called, “Today We Paint!” I’ll save the explanation and reasoning behind that for another post.
So, that is why my signature has all capitals and one lower case letter or all caps, except the “e” and a capital “I” that I dot to add color and personality if I feel it needs it. It may seem silly or insignificant, but for me it has deep meaning. Every time I finish a piece, before I pick up the tiny brush I use for my signature, I pause and take a deep breath and remember my faith, my grandmother’s impact, my decisions, my journey and as I sign, my legacy. “May my paintings be not just water, paint, and paper, but works of art filled with emotion, soul, love, faith, meaning, joy and significance. May those that see them feel something, be moved, and impacted in a postitve way.” That is something to which I will sign my name. That is my prayer!
