Jean Miller-Harding
Jean Miller-Harding is a Canadian painter whose creative roots run deep, having grown up in a family of artists in Ontario’s Niagara region. From an early age, she was captivated not only by the visual arts but also by the complexity and beauty of human anatomy. This dual passion led her to pursue academic studies in both science and art history, with a focus on Renaissance Europe’s great masters.
Her academic journey continued at the University of Toronto, where she enrolled in the Faculty of Medicine’s Medical Art program. Graduating with distinction, she earned top honours for her artistic work. This achievement opened the door to a thriving 15-year career as a medical illustrator. During this time, her illustrations appeared on over 400 magazine covers, and she collaborated with National Geographic on the acclaimed book The Incredible Machine. She also contributed to numerous pharmaceutical campaigns, several of which received global recognition for excellence.
While excelling as a commercial illustrator, Jean deepened her skills in portrait painting, training under John Howard Sanden at New York’s Portrait Institute and studying classical techniques in Florence under Maestro Michael John Angel, a protégé of Pietro Annigoni. Her first official portrait commission came in 1988, marking the start of a successful career in portraiture.
In 1994, her artistic journey took an international turn when she was invited to showcase her work in Jakarta, Indonesia, in a Canadian Embassy–sponsored exhibition. This experience inspired her to expand into figurative, landscape, and still life painting. Today, Jean divides her time between studios in Canada and the south of France, with her artwork represented in galleries across North America and Europe.
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS/GROUP SHOWS
- 2012, American Society of Traditional Artists , annual exhibition, Scottsdale Arizona
- 2011, “An Ordinary Aspect”, Paintings of Women by Women Artists, Joseph D. Carrier Art Gallery, Toronto,
- 2011, “The Art of Canadian Music”, John B. Aird Gallery, Toronto, Canada
- 2011, Bruno Capalongo Invitational Show, Hamilton Conservatory for the Arts, Hamilton, Canada
- 2010, Toronto International Art Fair, Ingram Gallery, Toronto Metro Center, Canada
- 2010, “Canadian Olympic Athletes: A Dialogue in Art”, John B. Aird Gallery, Toronto, Canada
- 2009, “Italy: the Artists’ Muse” ( group show), Hamilton Conservatory for the Arts, Hamilton, Canada
- 2009,”Beauty & Truth” ( group show) , Joseph D. Carrier Center, Toronto, Canada
- 2009,”The Canadian Portrait” (group show) John B. Aird Gallery, Toronto, Canada
- 2009, “Music”, Cosmo Music Gallery, Richmond Hill, Canada
- 2009, “Fun & Fabulous New Works”, group show, Craig Scott Gallery, Toronto, Canada
- 2005-2008, on display in France at Hotel Le Levant (St. Tropez) , Hotellerie de la Poste (St Maxime), Le Suffren (Port Grimaud)
- 2008, “La Couleur, La Vigne et La Méditerranée”, Domaine du Grand Cros, Carnoules, France
- 2008, “Go Figure”, Craig Scott Gallery, Toronto , Canada
- 2008, “A Portrait: The Face we present to the world” , group show, John Aird Gallery, Toronto, Canada
- 2007, Varley Museum, Canada, group show
- 2007, Figurative Painting, (group show) Atlanta Art Gallery, Atlanta, Georgia 2007, The Figure in Canadian Art, (group show), Collectors Gallery, Calgary, Alberta
- 2007, Bistro, Cafes, and Other Diversions, (group show) Atlanta Art Gallery, Atlanta Georgia
- 2007, Bach Variations, with C.Kent, Craig Scott Gallery, Toronto, Canada
- 2006, Canada Autrement, with C.Kent, Le Beausset, France
- 2006, The Best of Realism, group show, Winstanley-Roark Fine Arts, Dennis, Mass. USA
- 2006, The Muse, solo show, Ingram Gallery , Toronto
- 2005, Variations in Realism, solo show , Atlanta Art Gallery, Atlanta Georgia
- 2004, GreyScale, Ingram Gallery, Toronto,Canada
- 2003, En Terre, with C. Kent, Ingram Gallery, Toronto, Canada
- 2001, Group Show, Capturing the Soul: The Essence of Portrait Art, CIPA, Vancouver, Canada
- 2000, Millenium Show, Miranda Gallery, Aspen Colorado
- 2000, Group Show, Varley Museum, Canada
- 1999, Group Show, Varley Museum, Canada
- 1997, Solo Show, Pentimento Gallery, Toronto, Canada
- 1996, Artifacts Gallery, Toronto, Canada
- 1994, Duta Gallery, Jakarta, Indonesia
- 1994, Portait Group Show, Peterborough, Canada
- 1988, RX Club, Group Show, New York
- 1986, Society of Illustrators, Museum of American Illustration, New York
- 1986, Galleria l`Agrifoglio Illustrazione, Milan, Italy
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