approach, Crodel would encouraged his students to develop their own individual style while observing them at work. Loosely composed, often highly colourful and reminiscent of impressionism, Crodel's paintings provided Müller with fresh artistic impetus. Alongside his passion for painting, Müller also took pleasure in musical improvisation. He learnt to play the violin at an early age, played banjo in a band called Burgkapelle and later played mouth organ, together with his friend and former fellow student Helmut Schröder. To fund his training at Burg Giebichenstein, Müller was forced to interrupt his studies for lengthy periods on several occasions. From 1920 to 1922 and from 1924 to 1925, he worked as a painter in the Leuna works. Here, in 1921, he experienced the communist-led revolt known as the March Action at first hand. He spent the period of economic depression in 1923 and 1924 on the “waltz”. In Göttingen, he worked as a stage painter at the Deutsches Theater. His journeying took him to Southern Germany, where he found work in Kochel am See on the construction of the Walchensee Hydroelectric Power Station. In Munich, he visited the art collections in the city's two major galleries, the Alte Pinakothek and the Neue Pinakothek). In 1929, he sat and passed the painter's trade examination with the stage decorator O. Möllhoff in Halle. Professional and family life 1930–1945 Upon completion of his studies, in 1930 Müller entered employment in the paint factory at the Technische Chemikalien- und Compagnie GmbH in Halle. He remained there until 1941 as a laboratory technician and departmental manager. In 1936, Müller married Senta-Luise Demmer. In the same year, their daughter Thekla was born. In 1937 they had a son, also called Otto. During the Second World War, Müller served from 1938 to 1940 in the German defensive line known as the Westwall. From 1941 to 1945, he worked as a draughtsman at the Siebel aircraft plant in Halle and was thereby exempt from military service for the rest of the war. Professional and family life 1945–1963 On July 1, 1945, Müller began working as a self-employed painter and graphic designer in Halle. In 1946, he became a member of the Artists Association of the Democratic Republic of Germany – known in German as Verband Bildender Künstler (VBK) – which had been set up by Richard Horn (1898–1989) and Karl Völker. During this period, Müller earned his living by