THERE’s no doubt that Jermaine Miller-Lewis’ talents extend beyond the football field.
 
The Hawthorn rookie is midway through his second pre-season – and making great strides – but also showing off his artistic side off the field.
 
Over the past five years, the 20-year-old has taken up painting, and what started as a hobby is turning into a passion.
 
“I’ve been painting since I was 15… I had a lot going on with school and footy and picked it up around then,” Miller-Lewis said.
 
“Since then I’ve picked it up and paint whenever I feel like it in my down time.
 
“I’ve found that I’m a really artistic person, which is a bit weird because when I was younger I didn’t have a lot of interest in it.

 
Miller-Lewis has set up a Facebook page to display his work and explain why it’s important to him.
 
“People have been asking me about the stories and the meanings behind my paintings, so I’ve set up the Facebook page with my partner to show a bit of what I’m doing with my artwork,” he said.
 
“A lot of my family and friends back home, the first question they ask is how’s the painting, it’s never about the footy first!”
 
There’s plenty of meaning behind Miller-Lewis’ work, and it varies from piece to piece.
 
“Some are similar, some are different… it’s all based on how I feel and the spirituality side of things,” he said.
 
He’s currently working on a painting to display at the club, and he’s hoping to unveil it in the lead-up to Indigenous Round.
 
“The one for the club is an idea in my head, which I drew out on a piece of paper and it’s a bit more planned, whereas there’s ones where I just pick up the brush and whatever happens, happens,” he said.
 
“I’ve been working on the piece for the club since I came back from the Christmas break.
 
“I’ve got about two months until Indigenous Round, so it would be great to unveil it at the club around that time.
 
“It’s exciting, it will be awesome to have something at the club forever, to be a part of the family and give a bit back for what the club has given me.”
 
Much like his artwork, the name of Miller-Lewis’ Facebook page, Yellowbidi Dreaming Artwork, has a story behind it.

“Yellowbidi is Emu, so long legs… My mum and my brothers tease me about that and how I used to run, I looked like an emu, so Mum said that’s a good name for it!”