Meet Jesse Miller | Watercolorist and San Diego Lifeguard

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jesse Miller and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jesse, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
When I first started thinking about becoming an artist, I had the naive thought that I would be able to paint when I felt inspired and then people would come to me to learn all about my work, and how they can purchase it. I envisioned myself like Monet, painting in the garden, or Picasso doodling on a napkin to pay for a meal. Well, not exactly like that, but I thought I would have flexible hours, be able to be creative when I wanted, and have plenty of time to surf when the waves were good. I soon realized that being an artist, or any kind of entrepreneur was way more than a full time job. I spend a lot of time collecting reference material for my paintings, and the rest of the time trying to create good work. That leaves the hardest part of being an artist undone, which is showing, marketing and selling my work. That part is still a huge challenge for me, like many artists. I remain dedicated though, and even though it takes way more work that I initially thought it would to be an artist, I still want to work towards something that I feel is meaningful and gives me a sense of satisfaction. There is little more satisfying to me than completing a painting that I know is really good.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I love the idea of creating. I think it is so cool to take materials, and work with them to come up with something that is made for pure enjoyment. I love working with ceramics, and have painted with oils, but for 30 years, my main focus has been painting with watercolors. What makes my artwork different, I believe, is the subject matter I choose. As long as I can remember, my whole life has been spent looking for good waves. I started surfing at an early age, and that has been what has motivated me ever since. I love surfing, and not just the act of riding a wave, but everything surrounding it. My favorite paintings are when I can identify an aspect of surf culture, and I love the shared experience when others can recognize that in my work. It could be someone waxing their board, walking down a familiar trail to the beach, or someone just watching the waves. I try to show what surfing feels like. There are things that only surfers see, especially in the ocean, and they are my favorite paintings. I like to paint seascapes, waves and even the wildlife at the beaches, but when I capture some authentic surf culture, I get really excited.

People I meet often tell me that I am lucky to be an artist because I get to do what I love. I know I’m fortunate to have something that I am working for that is meaningful to me, but I don’t think luck has much to do with it. For me, trying to be an artist has been a difficult challenge from the beginning. There is no way to show the struggle that I, or any other artist goes through to develop and grow. I can never explain the hour and years of bad paintings and wasted materials before finally start getting results that aren’t terrible. Even after painting for 30 years, I still have a ratio of about 4 bad paintings to one good one. There has been, and continues to be a lot of frustration involved in getting my work to a level that I am satisfied with. Which leads me to another thing people often tell me. I never like when someone tells me I am talented. I know it is meant as a compliment, and I always thank them for it, but I don’t believe I have any special talent beyond what anyone else can develop if they put in the same effort. What I have is the ability to work through the hours and years of effort and wasted materials to try to create something I am proud of. When I have finally done that, I feel grateful to have chosen a career path that allows me such satisfaction.

My goal as an artist is to show great paintings that hide the effort behind them. I want my work to be simple, pure and share the kind of feeling that I seek to have in my life. I want people to recognize some of the great things that we get to enjoy in life through my work.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
When friends come to visit me in San Diego, I am going to show them the parts of the city that I love. I have worked as a lifeguard for the city for over 20 years, and I definitely have my favorite beaches. I love the trails and waves at Blacks Beach. I think the wildlife and scenes at the Cove in La Jolla are always fun to check out. I’ll take people surfing, kayaking, snorkeling, or just walking along the shoreline. Any time spent at the beach is time well spent. There are also great trails to go biking or hiking at close to the city. There are so many open trails in Crest, Santee and Lakeside that are often empty where people can just be out and away from everything. As crowded as it is in San Diego, there are so many places where you can still find some space for solitude. As far as places to eat in San Diego, a great taco shop will always hit the spot.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My wife has always been very supportive of my efforts, and I have always appreciated her encouragement. I also give a lot of credit to the art program at BYU-Hawaii, where I went to school. They gave me the tools to learn how to create art. The San Diego Lifeguard Service has allowed me to have inspiration for my paintings while I work as a lifeguard at some of the best places in San Diego.

Website: jmoceanart.com

Instagram: @jmoceanart

Facebook: Jesse Miller’s Ocean Art

Youtube: @jessemillersurfart