#134, Vermont artist Chris Miller’s stone truck

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 33:07 — 45.5MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More

Chris Miller, a sculptor who lives Maples Corner, a hamlet outside Calais, Vermont, began carving about 45 years ago. He works in granite, wood and marble, and his work is featured in private collections and sculpture galleries. It all gets its share of acclaim, including one of his most unique creations — a stone truck.

Miller’s truck sculpture was inspired by a stone creation of a Volkswagen Beetle built in Ithaca, New York in 1976. It’s also an homage to an automotive phenomenon.

As our guest on this episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast, Miller discusses driving in the rural Northeast where abandon vehicles are sighted often. Sometimes they share nature with overgrown weeds. Sometimes, the vehicles carry a beautiful patina, complemented by wildflowers.

A small town, a big stone truck

Podcast co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia talk with Miller about his long art career, particularly the process of creating his stone vintage truck built in 2012. It was created in five weeks after Miller launched a Kickstarter campaign with a goal of $2,500. He received $3,200 from 85 backers. The truck attracts visitors from several states.

According to his bio, Miller is primarily self-taught, although he studied art in college. He also studied anatomy and sculpture with the late Lothar Werslin of Sandgate Vt., and drawing and anatomy under Billy Brauer of Warren Vt. He’s collaborated with several stone sculptors in nearby Barre Vt.

There’s a lot involved in making a true-to-size stone truck. Miller’s piece included 8 loads of quarry stone, 2 pallets of bluestone, a marble tailgate and big chunks of granite. The truck weighs about 40 thousand pounds.

While continuing our series of podcasts from Bruce’s backyard in Sacramento during the coronavirus, we reached Miller in rural Tennessee. He was touring several states, including a visit with a client for another stone vehicle.

Miller said his trip was also to cultivate inspiration for additional artworks. He forwarded the image of a truck he observed in Georgia.

Please join us as Miller shares his world as a sculptor and stonemason.

The Weekly Driver Podcast encourages and appreciates feedback from our listeners. Please forward episode links to family, friends and colleagues. And you are welcome to repost links from the podcast to your social media accounts.
Support our podcast by shopping on Amazon.com.

Please send comments and suggestions for new episodes to James Raia via email: [email protected].

All podcast episodes are archived on www.theweeklydriver.com/podcast
Every episode is also available on your preferred podcast platform:

Google Play
iTunes
Spotify
Stitcher
iheartradio