#264, Chris Miller: Vehicle sculptures in stone

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Chris Miller has been a friend of The Weekly Driver Podcast for three years. An artist who lives Maples Corner, a hamlet outside Calais, Vermont, Miller began made his sculpture career nearly 50 years ago. He works in granite, wood and marble, and his work is featured in private collections, public buildings and galleries.

It’s all acclaimed work and he continues his various commercial contracts. But Miller’s “hobby” is his side project making stone cars, trucks and tractors.

Miller is our guest this week on The Weekly Driver Podcast. It’s our third interview with the 65-year-old artist.

Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia talk with Chris about the progression of this limited series of creations. He’s now working on his sixth vehicle. He’s only making 10.

Miller’s series stone vehicle was inspired by a stone creation of a Volkswagen Beetle built in Ithaca, New York, in 1976. His first piece was 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.

According to his bio on www.chrimillerstudio.com, 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 collaborated with several stone sculptors nearby Barre Vt.

There’s a lot involved in making a true-to-size (or larger) stone truck. Miller’s initial 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 Miller’s sixth project is in the works, a seventh stone vehicle is in negotiation.

Please join us as the article details the advancement of his works and the labor involved. The podcast episode also showcases Miller’s enthusiasm for his work.

Here are the links to our previous episodes with Chris Miller:

Episode #164: Chris Miller builds his third stone vehicle

Episode #134: Chris Miller builds stone trucks

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