Katie Miller remembers teaching herself to draw by completing direct renderings from books and magazines. She was encouraged to stop copying pictures during her first year of high school, and now understands the value of working from life. "I had never known another artist, so I didn't know there was so much more to art than being able to draw things well. As a result, my work began to be expressive and have meaning, and for that I am very grateful." Katie uses the figure to address psychological and emotional themes, expressing hidden aspects of herself and others.  She explains, "In most pieces, the painting is not about the person depicted. Rather, my model serves as an actor to convey a complex mood or theme." She explains that her piece " Prey" is about unwelcoming thoughts that can cause anxiety. Katie, who has obsessive-compulsive disorder, Tourette's syndrome and depression, believes art to be a creative outlet for the frustrations caused by her disabilities. "A great deal of my work expresses something I've felt as a result of my disabilities. A constructive comment that might make one student strive to do better is apt to make me think I should quit altogether. I have to work hard not only to make art, but to continue making art."