“Nothing gives more pleasure than hiking in the local Santa Monica mountains, high Sierra Nevada mountains deserts or southern California beaches and then being able to communicate what I feel
through my paintings. I am dedicated to painting and preserving the natural environment that I love.”
Russ is inspired by nature and his compositions echo the beauty of the natural world with the rich imagination and originality of an artist’s mind.

He builds upon the historical tradition of representational fine art and is inspired by such early California impressionists as Edgar Payne, William Wendt and William Ritschel as well as contemporary artists David Gallup, Daniel Pinkham, Ron Kingswood and Len Chmiel.

Russ captures the luminous light in the magnificent natural landscapes he is so familiar with. His work is simple, and fresh. His paintings draw in the viewer and we are immediately transported into a world created by shadow and light.

He can be described as self-taught but he has studied with renowned artist David Gallup as well as studying art at Santa Monica City College. He is a member of the plein-aire painters of the Allied Artists of the Santa Monica Mountains and Seashore and Topanga Canyon Art Gallery.