Paton Miller Goes Around the World

Oscar Molina Gallery in Southampton is presenting “Paton Miller: Around the World in 40 Paintings, Part II,” a fresh selection of the artist’s works to complete the artistic journey. An artist’s reception will be held at the gallery on Friday, December 30, from 5 to 7 p.m. The show remains on view through January 9.

This new group of paintings by Miller, the Seattle-born, Hawaii-raised, longtime resident of Southampton, continues the exploration of the world through Miller’s uniquely inventive, artistic language. Miller’s distinctive domain is portrayed through a fanciful lens, while his hand accurately and expressively depicts people, animals, and places, real and imagined. His works convey a variety of emotions and situations more than any single, straightforward narrative. Contemplation is key for both the artist and the viewer, as is experience — his explorations engaging us in unknown, sometimes absurd, yet somehow familiar territories.

“Cat out of House” is an oil on canvas that combines Miller’s facility for color, line, and form with his acuity and ability to generate a fantastic story. Another feline painting, “Cat Shares Milk” appears to have a more commonplace air, that is if most people — or animals for that matter — would consent to sharing a bowl. Unsurprisingly, anthropomorphism abounds in Miller’s work, as in the canvas “Read All About It,” and contributes to the enchanting quality of his art. While many pieces strike a balance between fantasy and reality, “Isa” seems an undemanding, intimate composition of a seated girl that simply transmits stillness and introspection in Miller’s signature jewel tones and scratched, worn textures.

In addition, the “treasure chests” Miller has created with beehive frames and boxes remain on view. These small paintings are ingeniously framed and boxed in apiary materials and feature the artist’s inimitable style that is polished and crude at once. These boxed works complete the adventure in drawn and painted imagery.

Oscar Molina Gallery is located at 28c Jobs Lane in Southampton. For more information, visit oscarmolinagallery.com.