By Jesse Bertel
Across The Street

Douglas Miley is a self-taught artist whose paintings bring the beauty of the west to the viewer. Preferring not to just paint the scenery as it is, he creates mystical scenes from nature, a sort of poetry in color. Lilly Miley has been married to Douglas for 25 years. She is known for her vivid and colorful still life and landscapes created with a palette knife and brush.

The combined works of these two nature artists are on display now through Feb. 6 at Mayo hospital, 13400 E Shea Blvd, Scottsdale.

Lilly explained that painting for her is a therapeutic process.

“I started painting when I was 48 and had a heart attack,” Lilly said. “We do encourage each other, but it was my cardiologist in Phoenix who said, ‘if you don’t get her to do something else, she’s not going to be here.’ So, that’s when I started to paint and I’ve had maybe over half a dozen teachers, you know, between going to college and all and private ones.”

Though the two both paint nature subjects, they each have their own unique style.

“Doug is very accurate on everything and I try to have a little bit of leeway in trying to make myself go a little softer and not as restricted,” Lilly said. “Doug has strictly been the Southwest and everything that is very distinct. In other words, if he’s painting a mountain, he will paint it just as it is.”

According to Lilly, her paintings of flowers are what people are drawn to the most in her work.

“What inspires me is seeing something that’s beautiful, that I think will cheer someone up or make them happy and my flowers have done the best,” Lilly said. “I can do that in a week and I can only paint for a couple of hours because I have congestive heart failure and I am 90.”

Painting has helped Lilly with her heart condition as a way to reduce stress.

“It totally distracted me because it was so different from real estate and once you start, you’re actually lost in the painting and it draws you in,” Lilly said.

Over the years, the two painters have participated in many different art shows, but now they primarily show their work out of their home studio where they also teach children how to paint.

“I did not meet Doug until I’d been divorced from my first husband,” Lilly said. “We’ve been married 29 years and during that time, we’ve belonged to all these different groups in Prescott. We’ve been in the Phippen show and Prescott Fine Arts and Mountain Artist Guild. Right now we’re basically showing from home. It’s too hard to set up a tent, which we did for 25 years for the Phippen Memorial Day show.”

Miley Art Studio is located at 1900 Forest Meadows Dr., Prescott.

For more information, call 928-445-8079, or visit www.douglasmileyart.com.

Jesse Bertel is a reporter/videographer for the Prescott News Network. Follow him on Twitter @ JesseBertel, email him at jbertel@prescottaz.com, or call 928-445-3333, ext. 2043.