LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — A local sculptor, who has traveled internationally, wants his work etched in history.
Darryl Miller has multiple sculptures of his displayed around the state, including at Eastern Michigan University.
Now he’s finding ways to get his art into libraries.
“I’ve been an artist my whole life. I think that [art] is an expression of the soul,” Miller said.
Sculpting since the ’60s, Miller has perfected his technique — especially after traveling as far as Italy for an apprenticeship.
“It was great, you know? I was watching a master carve marble,” Miller said.
In his time being mentored, Miller discovered he preferred clay modeling — adding on to his sculptures rather than taking away.
And many times, Miller bases his sculptures on real people.
“This is one of my favorite pieces; I did it in about an hour. It’s really rough, which I like. His name was Michael Miller — no relation. He was a good guy,” Miller said.
Miller has taken his art a step further by solidifying its place in history with his book, “The Sculpture of Darryl Miller,” which he compiled with Kimberly Podmore.
“I’m an old man now, and I wanted to leave a legacy. It’s 35 pages, all colored photographs of my work,” Miller said.
Miller’s book is in the Library of Congress, Eastern University Library and the Charlotte Library.
And adding onto the list, the Library of Michigan just put his book onto its shelves.
“I feel great; I’m ecstatic, and I’m surprised by the response and gratified,” Miller said.
He plans to write another book explaining his sculpting process, and he hopes to get his work into even more libraries.
Miller says young people looking to make the most of their life should “just keep on doing it” and remember “mistakes are your friend.”
