Aura

By Marissa A. Miller

Mixed media on paper

I enjoy sharing my art with others, especially my abstract pieces. Hearing the different interpretations of my art fulfill my desire to share with others. It seems that no two interpretations are exactly the same and that sparks a fire inside of me to continue to create, even when I am trying to express something that I struggle with. 

This piece is meant to be a representation of what I see when I have a migraine aura. The vein-like structures represent firing neurons and sensitivity to light, while the darkness and random composition represent the chaos that is to follow. The dark, moving background creates a sense of anxiety and panic that is associated with a migraine aura. The bright greens, blues and whites are flashes of pain and the dark, soft, repetitive brush strokes are the throbbing or pounding sensation felt after the aura dissolves. The high contrast of the colors in this piece represent the battle for restorative sleep while enduring the pain of a migraine.

The irony of this painting is that although it was inspired by pain and darkness, the migraine aura is actually quite beautiful and interesting to see. Clouded vision, flashes of light, blurred squiggle lines, black flashing, and decreased depth perception are all ways to describe a visual aura, but no two are the same and no two people will give the exact same description. 

The texture and dimension of this piece was achieved by layering contrasting gauche and acrylic on top of pastel, chalk and watercolor.

Marissa A. Miller, PA-S, is an alumna of the Physicians Assistant program at UAMS.