Both the Milans were fascinated by art as children. Johns’s mother encouraged his natural ability to draw; he received his first set of paints from one of his mother’s friends. Eli was never without a piece of crayon; as a result, her mother was always discovering pieces melted into her clothing after going through the wash.

Both artists grew up in Hawaii and met as teenagers at a beach party on the North Shore. Soon after, they decided to go to art school together in Savannah Georgia where they attended Savannah College of Art and Design.