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I too made the
pilgrimage and visited RA Miller back in the late 1990s, a real
treat to visit a legendary Georgia Folk artist - RA Miller.
 Across
Old Cornelia Highway from the Rabbit Town Cafe - "A Real Hoppin
Place" on a small rise beside the road you are attracted to a yard
full of whirligigs or windmills. This is the home and studio of
Georgia folk artist R.A. Miller. |
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As you drive up the gravel road to his home you are greeted by his
works of art. They are everywhere, attached to the trees, to the
side of his house and on the lawn. A hand painted tin flag sign
proudly displays the names of the nine members of the R.A. Miller
family with their birth dates. R.A. Miller's birth date is July 22,
1912. The sign also has the name and birth date of his grand
daughter that he helped raise. |
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His most popular
creations are the tin red devils and patriotic Blow Oskars that
you'll find nailed to the sides of his tar-papered house and work
shed. Miller's Blow Oskar is named after his cousin, who "used to go
up and down the road all the time and blow at me. And his name was
Oskar." |
  
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But fame hasn't much changed the man or his world. Miller, who
worked in nearby cotton mills for 30 years and preached some on the
side, still lives in the ramshackle house where he was born and
where he raised seven children. And he still sells his "junk" for
$10-$35, although galleries in Atlanta and New York sell his
creatures for 10 times that and more. It appears that the only
difference fame has brought is an assembly line of helpers and a
steady stream of visitors. |
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Reverend Miller passed away on March 7, 2006 at the age of 93. He
will be sorely missed by all who knew him. He leaves a legacy of art
behind that delights collectors from all over the world. We'll see
you on the other side RA, Lord Love You.
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