Before Aly Miller was a freelance food and map illustrator, she studied geography at UW-Madison. She chose the major because of her interest in the relationships between people and places.
“I had my first taste of design as a geography student in a lab where we were learning how to make maps; I fell in love with the history of maps and how to select color and design schemes,” Miller says. “I knew I wanted to start telling stories and communicate information visually, but I wasn’t a trained graphic designer or an illustrator.”
Now, the Bay View-based Aly Miller has finished illustrating for two books this year: one about cheese explorations and pairings and a beginner’s cookbook coming out at the end of this month.
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
“For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to be a writer and illustrator,” Miller says. “And now … I’m getting closer to that dream.”
Miller grew up in Whitefish Bay, where as a student she fell in love with the arts and literature. While in Madison, she started to teach herself graphic design skills in Adobe Illustrator and InDesign, using online resources from teachers to help her along the way. Her interest in food and agriculture writing led her to work for REAP Food Group’s Farm to School program before interning with a food writer in upstate New York.
During her internship, Miller went to New York City to interview chefs and artists. “That unlocked this sense of adventure and knowing that I wanted to spend more time in the city,” Miller says. “Particularly Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn for its creative food and art scene.”
Eventually, Miller began freelancing as an illustrator but also used her creative skills in her part-time jobs. Over time, Miller began to take on more creative illustration projects and less graphic design or admin work.
“I look back at this sort of unconventional path, and I think I’ve found a lot of value in working and having real-world experience and building a portfolio organically over time,” Miller says.
In September, the first book illustrated by Aly Miller – Madame Fromage’s Adventures in Cheese written by Tenaya Darlington – was released. The book explores different cheeses, how they can be used and their pairings.
The illustrations featured in the book are whimsical to match Darlington’s writing. This creative challenge was fun for Miller, whose style skews more straightforward and educational.
“I like educational illustration,” Miller says. “Ones that show a really clear image of what a cheese plate might look like or what the steps are in making bread for example, but for [Darlington’s] book, I stretched myself creatively in a really big way. For example, there was a scene of cheese that’s shaped like safari animals, and that was so challenging for me because I just love nature and food, but coming up with cheese that resembled animals was not my forte.”
Darlington’s book was Miller’s first big project after moving back to Milwaukee in 2021.
“I never intended to leave Brooklyn – I loved it out there,” Miller says. “I thought I was a for-lifer, but I had a sudden health crisis at the end of 2021, and it caused me to rearrange and rethink my entire life. To this day, I have a dynamic disability from taking an antibiotic that was toxic to my body and affected my tendons and muscles. So I have to work differently than I’ve ever worked before in a physical way.”
Miller feels that her professional work has helped her to stay afloat and recover. “It’s given me so much power when I feel a lack of power in my body,” Miller says. “I can get my thoughts out on the page, and I feel really lucky that I can still do that.”
Miller’s second book for which she illustrated – Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook, written by former Bon Appétit food editor Sohla El-Waylly – comes out Oct. 31.
“It’s a big book, and it was designed to have it on the counter as you’re cooking,” Miller says. “It’s like a guidebook for beginner chefs or experienced chefs alike. Each chapter focuses on one specific cooking technique.”
The book features photographs and illustrations along with recipes. Miller’s contributions were based on the food science that occurs during cooking, like the anatomy of an egg or how gluten activates to make bread stretchy and soft.
After the books, what’s next for Miller? She’s releasing a 2024 calendar, A Year of Celebrating Local Food and Farms, filled with illustrations that highlight what foods are in season each month. She also has a new line of tea towels that feature lumpy heirloom squashes and other fall favorites in bright and surprising color combinations. Her prints can also be found at GoodLand Home Goods Store on Downer Ave. and Lion’s Tooth in Bay View.
