We were lucky to catch up with Kortny Miller recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Kortny thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I remember in 3rd grade when my teacher told my parents they should get me a sketchbook, cause I doodled all the time at school and she saw potential. I filled up books throughout grade school through middle school, I share this with the thought that I think my soul has always been drawn to being creative and thrives best when I’m creating. And who wouldn’t want to be an artist and play with color all the time? Of course, my very loving, but logical parents informed me in high school that being an artist isn’t a sustainable job, maybe be an english teacher and do art on the side. I did do art on the side for a very long time, but looked to traditional 9-5 work while still dreaming of someday being a full time professional artist. There weren’t many jobs I stayed long at, I would get restless, bored, I couldn’t stand the repetition of doing the same thing the same way every day. I did find 2 traditional jobs I stayed at for a few years, one was a cake decorator and the other was working in promotions and becoming a radio personality at a local radio station. Both of these jobs allowed me enough creative room to stay a handful of years a piece at. Throughout the years, I always had work with art on the side, eventually taking over more and more of my time, until one day at my radio job, juggling painting residential murals and working 50 hour weeks dj’ing and attending concerts representing my station, I had this moment of wild clarity that I HAD to pursue art full time. I had gotten to the point that I could not imagine myself not being a full time artist and knew it was time to dive in completely. That was close to 5 years ago, and I still have that fire in my chest that this is what I’m meant to do.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Kortny, but I paint public art as Red Dirt Rosie. I kind of fell into public art. I’ve always taken commission work when asked to that ranged from portraits, landscapes, pianos, xbox’s, shoes. Basically whatever would hold paint I would paint it. I started getting asks for residential murals and that was a whole new world. I had no clue someone could paint art on walls for a living. I’ve intentionally placed myself around other public artists to learn more about different styles of public art and to increase my skills as an artist. Currently I offer custom commissions with a focus on pets, window splash art, murals, and keep an inventory of art inspired by my personal journals to show at assorted art shows. My art style is very illustrative whimsy feeling, and much of my concepts have a wonder/curiosity about them that invites viewers/communities to re-ignite their child-like wonder and hope. I like to help others dream again, reconnect with the beauty of storytelling. I have battled anxiety and depression most of my life, and use my art to connect with others, to battle feelings of isolation and bring warmth and encouragement through big art. A project I’m really proud of is a piece I collaborated on with a town in Oklahoma that had a tornado tear through a short time before I started the project, the image was of a bird with the text Call Hope to Rise, with the goal of re-igniting hope when the community was feeling pretty beat up. It was also the first larger mural this town had installed, and it was so well received and helped cultivate momentum to start a public art fund and they now have a new mural installed yearly through their funding. Main things I hope are always attached to my art are warm, encouraging, hopeful, whimsical, bright and alive.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

Growing up with parents who were very traditional in their idea of what we should do for a career, and having teenagers of my own, a drive in my creative journey is to show my children that it is possible to achieve our dreams. I want to be supportive of their dreams and visions. I do it for the little kid inside of me too, who wondered if drawing and painting could equal a sustainable living. Referencing back to fighting a lot of depression and anxiety, I think about the possibility of anyone in those battles and how much a kind person with big beautiful art could connect them to hope. I deeply believe art welcomes all to heal, to be a part of a large community, and invites our brains to see past our current situations.

How did you build your audience on social media?

My social media has had healthy growth over the past couple of years, which I initially acknowledged was growing due to being so established in my hometown and the community watching me grow as an artist. I follow and interact with other artists I admire, and I go to events, both for artists and for the communities I work in to connect and network. My advice would be, follow who inspires you, meet them when you have the chance, share who you are as a person on your socials. For me it ended up not just about selling my services, but my clients enjoy who I am as a person, my humor, my outlook on life, my encouragement.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.reddirtrosie.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/red.dirt.rosie/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/reddirtrosiellc/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@reddirtrosie