Meet the Artist: Matthew Miller a.k.a @Sunflowerman

Here’s an amazing fact: the sunflower is comprised of thousands of wee flowers, and what we register as petals are actually called ray florets. We bring this up because illustrator Matthew Miller’s artistic output also contains multitudes. Miller, who goes by the monikers @sunflowerman and @sunflowerman.watch on Instagram, was raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
 

And like a sunflower’s seeds spread by the wind, Miller’s artistic chops have been honed in the fashion hubs of London, Milan, Paris, and New York. But his elegant drawings and expressive watercolors found international acclaim when he and his wife moved to Fort Worth, Texas.

Watchonista spoke to Miller over the phone about his artistic evolution and how his art became a hit amongst the horological cognoscenti.
 

An integral part of his “100 Watches Project” was that he shared the story behind each watch he portrayed. And, of course, as the timepiece part of his practice has grown, the more he has fallen down the horological rabbit hole, extensively researching brands, their collections, and the role each watch plays in pop culture.
 

In Miller’s portraits, the watches are presented as part and parcel of a whole look. And that is where the images tell a bigger story: Every detail is sketched out in advance, whether it be a crown, a bracelet link, or the stitches and fabric on a suit.
 

Like menswear, Miller sees watchmaking as a form of wearable art. Thus, his ultimate goal is to celebrate the artistry and craftsmanship that goes into creating each piece.

The first watch he bought when he got into timepieces was the Brew Metric chronograph, saying: “Jonathan Ferrer has a great eye for design and a great story.”
 

Miller is also a fan of watch brands that are willing to take visual risks: “I love early Ressence – there’s something about the way they play with telling time that excites me,” he explained.

He’s also into F.P.Journe and has produced at least 40 live drawings of stylish gents wearing Journes in a series of ink drawings Miller calls “St. Journe and the Dragon.” And as a fan of portrait artists like Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, it’s not surprising that his work also playfully references ancient stories like St. George vanquishing a fire-breathing, flying reptile.
 

Unlike other works, this series often features almost neo-classical backgrounds, but at the center of these illustrations are real-life characters from the fashion and watch collecting world. And this is one of the most appealing parts of Miller’s work: it feels very alive!

“For me, the highlight of all this travel is getting the community together,” said Miller. Just as his art lies at the intersection of fashion and portraiture, being able to find a home both in the world of galleries and watch enthusiasts, online and in person, is another reason he is a friend to watch enthusiasts from Dubai to Florence.
 

(Images by Matthew Miller. Front image © Elizabeth Lavin)