Colette Miller Connects the World With Her Global Angel Wings Project
Written By: Ashlee Polarek
Photographed By: Matt Misisco Angel Wing Street Art
Angel wings painted with dark purples, magentas, blues and golds—the ones that decorate your Instagram feed and various walls around the globe—are all done by the hands of Colette Miller, a Los Angeles-based artist and connector of spirits.
Miller started painting when she was a child, opting to paint in the art room instead of going to recess. With a passion for art and schooling at Virginia Commonwealth University, it’s not surprising that Miller’s work has become so well-known.
Despite their wild popularity, her wings are meant to be more than just a cute Instagram photo. The idea for the Global Angel Wings Project came to Miller while driving down the 101 in LA.
“The image of angel wings came into my head as I was thinking about the state of humanity and the true and divine self found in all of us,” explains Miller. “I thought I would love to see that image out in the world—these huge wings that reminded humanity of our angelic and divine self.”
In 2012, Miller put up her very first wings in downtown LA near Art Share. Although the wings you’ll find there now have been touched up and redone by Miller, the location remains the same. When they first went up, she acted illegally, painting them under the cover of darkness.
“I painted them at home because I was going to work fast,” says Miller. “When I put them up, my friends hid me behind a truck and [were on the] lookout. There was a festival that weekend, and there was a line [at the wall] right away. It was weird; I had never seen interactive wings on the street before I started.”
Since that fateful evening, Miller has put up wings in countries around the world, including Japan, Australia, Kenya, Turkey and Cuba. While the Global Angel Wings Project is one of her more well-known works, Miller also paints nature and animal scenes. She has worked as a film editor, writes poetry and finds an outlet in music.
Creativity and self-expression are a large part of her life. But, there is one thing she won’t do. “I never add the big hashtag on my murals,” shares Miller. “I find it offensive. It becomes an ad. My street art project was kind of a response to ads. I wanted to give something out as a gift.”
Miller hopes that the lasting impression her art makes is “to remind humanity of beauty and love and to recognize beauty and love in all. To remind you of some type of peace.”
Colette Miller
310.213.9999 Angel Wing Street Art
@colettemillerwings Angel Wing Street Art
Global Angel Wings Project Angel Wing Street Art
Ashlee is a freelance writer with a focus on travel, lifestyle and food. After obtaining her degree in Journalism she took the world by storm teaching in South Korea and giving motivation speeches across the United States. She can often be found on road-trips, plane rides and cooking up her favorite meal from her most recent travels. The anti-homebody loves a good hike, good book and a day spent with friends.
