“Artist Sarah Milton thrives on pushing her comfort zone and gives Kristine Fisher for Cape Ann ARTWaves a glimpse into her adventurous spirit and art practice.”

“There are so many levels to consider, from creating the molds to working with space, size, temperature control, light control, and even determining the type of paint that will hold on resin casts. I was so excited just to get my hands dirty, work three-dimensionally, and reach a level that goes beyond expectations.”

“LL Milton is an old school abstract painter. Her show at the Gallery at the Piano Factory stirs ghosts of mid-20th-century British artists such as Ben Nicholson and Peter Lanyon, who focused on structure and landscape in their brushy, textural abstract paintings. Milton’s paintings spring from her interest in neglected architecture. Her process involves recycling unsuccessful paintings and drawings into new art. She pays vigilant attention to texture. “Above and Beyond’’ plays glistening etching ink off a rougher oil paint. Its streaks of clotted blue, crusting white, and stretches of blue-green resemble wood grain. Then she collages on painted-over paper. All the shifts dazzle. At the same time, she is trying to create a sense of space, with a loose grid and hammocks of color. But she activates so much intimate attention with her textures that we don’t want to step back, to breathe and perceive structure and space. The paintings are fervent and skilled - there’s a lot of excitement - but Milton needs to balance her fervor with editing.”

“Four mini-exhibitions span the walls of the Artpath Gallery in Burlington’s Wing Building this summer. The shows represent solid bodies of work by a quartet of Vermont painters: Deborah Hillman and Sarah Milton seem dedicated to Abstract Expressionism; Linda Durkee produces mixed-media collages; and Isaac Graham is a traditional realist who takes on a range of subjects, from figures to animals. Milton’s collection, entitled “Abstract Reality in Color,” presents a dozen skillful oil paintings that demonstrate a firm grasp of composition. Her off-balance - though not off-kilter - planes add tension. But, as Milton’s title suggests, color is the driving force behind these works. “After Arizona” is a 27-by-38-inch aggregation of reds that support two areas of soft geometric shapes in scumbled greens, a patch of white and a judicious use of purple. The 24-by-20-inch “Evening Blues” relegates red to the right third of the canvas; cool gray-blues occupy the remainder of the space… The Artpath four are on distinct paths but equally productive journeys. These selections offer snapshots of where they’ve been and tantalizing hints of where they may be headed.”