Surf artist calling Scottsdale home

• Artist Baron Darryl Von Miller reflects on a life well lived.

June 07, 2023

By Dustin Hollick

In an unassuming shed off a lane in central Scottsdale lives a world-famous black velvet artist and surf memorabilia collector.

Baron Darryl Von Miller grew up in Fingal Head, New South Wales (NSW), where he was taught the ancient art of painting on black velvet by his creative father Perc Miller.

Since 1967 Darryl has found joy in creating beautiful pieces of art and buying and selling all kinds of weird and wonderful surf craft.

For about 40 years he ran an edgy art gallery inside a surf shop with an old picture theatre at Fingal Head, before the crowds drove him south to the colder climes of Tasmania eight years ago.

In Tassie he stuck to what he knew opening another surf shop in Bicheno called the Seagypsies which he ran successfully before moving to Scottsdale in 2020, diving more heavily back into painting.

“I love the fact that I’m the only surfer in town,” he laughed. 

“And I can call myself a baron, I guess you could say I’m a unique guy. 

“We love it here, it’s such a special town and I can still get a few waves by sneaking down to Bridport and a few other places,” he said.

The country feel of Scottsdale reminds Darryl of the freedom he enjoyed on the North Coast of NSW in the 1960’s.

“I have found a few spots that I don’t think anyone has ever surfed.

 “I love that feeling of being alone in the ocean, getting away from it all, it’s that old fashioned country soul surfing kind of thing.

“This area is one of the last frontiers where you can get away from it all,”
he said.

When not exploring the vast coastline of the North-East corner Darryl creates artistic masterpieces and enjoy the anonymity that Scottsdale provides him.