Meet the Artist: Karen Miller

Creating art has always been an interest of mine. I’m self-taught and like to experiment with different media and styles of art. A few years ago, I came across the work of illustrative journalist and artist Wendy McNaughton and realised the power of using hand-drawn images with words to tell a story.  Since then, I have been inspired by many other artists who create art in this way to communicate ideas and experiences.

I think a style is inevitably emerging the more I create art, although I’m not conscious of developing one, nor would I know how to describe it.

One thing I am proud of is my growing collection of sketchbooks that I have filled with ‘bad art’ while establishing a daily sketching practice.  This has been a big factor in developing my skills and confidence and helping me overcome the fear of the ‘blank page’.

Over the past few years, I have been gradually incorporating my sketches into some of the work I do in the Curtin Library, mainly to illustrate presentations and learning resources.  I’d love to do more of it, although as an Academic Skills Advisor, creating art is not in my job description!

In addition to the various illustrative journalists I admire, I was inspired by the quirky, fun drawings of Ian Fennelly, a UK based artist and ‘urban sketcher’.  I love the way he plays with perspective and skilfully infuses loads of character into his drawings of buildings.

I started with a very playful, ‘unserious’, approach to the drawing, as it was originally designed as a temporary sign among several others, as part of a Library UX (User Experience) project.  Because it was very low stakes, I felt free to just have fun and enjoy myself, without being overly concerned about the outcome. When the project expanded to creating a colour version and brochure, the main challenge was learning how to create art digitally and achieve the style I envisioned.  Fortunately, I received a lot of valuable suggestions and helpful feedback, which I am very grateful for.  It’s been a wonderful opportunity to work on the project with supportive library colleagues like Christine Huggins, the Library’s Communications and Engagement Coordinator.  Undoubtedly, bringing the project to fruition was very much a collaborative team effort.

Curiosity is inherent to creativity and a key attribute for learning anything. I figured everyone who finds themselves at Curtin must be a curious person – wanting to find things out, wanting to learn. My plan was that people would see the image and think, ‘A curious person? That’s me!’ and then they would feel compelled to take a closer look at the details.

I want students to see themselves as curious, and in turn, to be inspired to discover what the Library can offer more deeply than they otherwise would.  I also want to encourage students to explore widely throughout their learning journey and ask lots of questions with a curious and open mind.

In a fast-paced busy world, our ability to sustain attention long enough to read a lot of textual information seems to be diminishing at a rapid rate. Illustration is a good way to capture people’s attention in a short amount of time and hand-drawn illustration can be particularly effective.  As Wendy McNaughton writes,‘The hand-drawn image hooks our eyes and slows us down.  We recognise it as being made by another human, and we connect in a way that I don’t think we do with any other medium”.

Art is a powerful way to express ideas and convey feelings.  Within a library space art helps to create an inviting atmosphere and encourages people to be reflective and curious. It can also be a great way to help people connect to the services and resources provided by the library.