Lawrence.com

Terry Miller was going through a mid-life crisis a few years ago, wondering what he was going to do with his career that was not only meaningful but also creatively fulfilling. He enrolled in a few classes at Johnson County Community College where inspiration struck him. The great thing for Miller was that he did not have to alter his lifestyle as his new occupation took off, because he could adapt his regular trade to pursue his artistic dreams.

A carpenter by trade, Miller is using his woodworking skills to make functional and artistic pieces grounded squarely in inspiration he finds in oriental art and architecture.

"I went on a mid-life crisis of sorts, so I enrolled and took a few courses in art history and the history of furniture," Miller says. "It really opened my eyes to the world of art and everything just clicked."

Now Miller's world revolves around art, which is both his passion and his business. And after only a few years, he's finding himself winning raves from collectors on both coasts. His company, Oriental Trellise Works, puts out a variety of original pieces, each one from one of Miller's own designs, but alterations in the trim assures buyers that no two pieces are alike.

Want to know how quickly the market is taking off for Miller? Even Agnes Gunn, president of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, has bought one of Miller's works.

"That's kind of nice. It's a real feather in my cap," Miller says.

But knowing that he's new to the art world means Miller is trying to learn all he can. So when he's not working on his own material, he's working at Carmesi, 1012 Mass., serving as the gallery's assistant manager.

"It's a great job because it's a source of inspiration and it's instructional because there is so much fine art to look at," he says.

It also puts him in close proximity to other artists, including gallery owner, Nancy Ness, and artist Judi Kells, who both fill him in on the tricks of the art trade.

"I've learned a lot about presenting, pricing and selling � the business of art," he says.

He's learned to network with so many area artists that he has several collaborations planned, including ones with muralist Missy McCoy and artist Laura Ramberg.

Miller has always worked with his hands, crafting usable material from wood. He began by helping his father make cornices, and he eventually worked in the lumber trade where he advanced to become a framing, remodeling and trim carpenter.

While studying at JCCC, Miller became infatuated with Oriental architecture and art, including works by Chinese, Japanese and Indian artists. The arts and crafts movement also heavily influenced his art.

"There is something very simple but very elegant about arts and crafts that I find appealing," he says.

Miller started out making products that could function outdoors. And though he still leaves it out in his back yard to test its durability, his work has progressed from being purchased for functional outside uses, and is now being sought by collectors who love the form of his creations and view them as inside interior sculptures.

Miller now finds his work in demand at a wide variety of venues. He shows at Carmesi and at Phoenix Gallery Topeka. He has a booth at Art in the Park, and he even displays at the Sunrise Garden Center, 15th and New York streets.

"This really combines my three hobbies of woodworking, bird watching and gardening," Miller says.

The artist designs the motifs in advance and creates patterns out of red cedar for the latticework, trellises and bird feeders he'll make. He predrills holes, but drives each nail by hand to keep wood from splitting. He trims out each piece differently to keep it from turning into production-line carpentry.

The beauty of his designs is that they can be shrunk or enlarged to meet spacing needs, or to serve a variety of tasks as Miller goes about customizing work for individual clients.

His technique insures that buyers have a piece that is aesthetically pleasing and very functional, which pleases both Miller and his buyers.

"I love what I do," Miller says. "And I'm very happy that after 40-some years I finally found my niche in life."