Life story
Born in Rockport Texas in 1946. Grew up around the water front, sailing and fishing with his family. At about the age of fourteen he started trying to paint the romantic coastal images which were too complicated for his artistic level at that time, but fortune took him to the studio of a wonderful Lady named Kit Dinger where he was made to start learning the basics of painting by working in charcoal, pastel then oil. Were it not for her he would never have gotten the wheel to roll.
With the fire of youth he went to study art at Del Mar college
In Corpus Christi Texas but did not find the sort of study they offered to be his cup of tea although art history and creative design remains with him to this day.
The next stop was the Navy where he became a Corpsman and served with the Marine Corps during the Viet Nam war. While stationed in San Diego the opportunity to study with Fredrick Whitaker and Robert Landry, both well known watercolorist from La Jolla Calif and several painters in Laguna Beach where he became friends with Arul Raj.
After returning to the U.S. he went to live south of Tijuana Mexico where he painted with his good friend Jose Gomez until he passed. All the joy of being there was lost and he returned to Rockport where a dream came true, the chance to study with the man who became his mentor, William Brigl who was descended from court painters in Munich Bavaria. He studied with Brigl on and off for several years developing certain skills as a marine and landscape painter. Afterwards it took several more years to develop his own style. He has benefited from associations with many other painters such as Wolf Kahn of New York, Walt Gonske of Taos, Gerold Fritzler of Mesa, Buck Schweitz and many more from the Northwest Rendezvous Group of Artists. He was friends with other wildlife painters that moved to Rockport such as Jack Cowen, Al Barnes, Herb Booth, the list of other wonderful painters is too long for this narrative. The largest portion of his painting history has been his portrayal of all things Texas from spring time travels in the hill country looking around each bend in the road for yet another beautiful composition, and wearing out the roads traveling the gulf coast looking for rusty boats and leaning bait stands or anything that the marshes may give up especially as the day comes to a close.
His method of painting is to start the project in an abstract mode, searching for the exciting elements that will become the focus of the finished painting, then after that he starts getting into the more impressionistic style which leads into an area of realism. He says “in a way I just take a leap of faith and let the composition be what it wants to be”. This all happens from a lifetime of trying to push the limits of his skill level. “I often I fall on my face but that is part of the price one must pay”. Also knowing when to quit is pretty important. One time he and Herb Booth were talking about this and he said he found that excellence resided on the far side of the screw up made by painting past the point where you should have stopped. Interesting observation.
“My life has been a voyage among some very interesting people and places. As most folks know there are good times mingled with pain and calamity and if luck holds out one can emerge a little stronger for the experience. I chose a path of near poverty almost like a monk, which did not earn me accolades as a family provider but was a great inspiration for trying to create beautiful objects. In the end I hope there will enough beauty to earn forgiveness for the short comings.”
“I have been honored to be the Texas state Ducks Unlimited artist of the year twice, central flyway artist several times. Guest artist at the Easton Waterfowl festival also several times, as well as guest artist at the Northwest Rendezvous mostly in Utah.” “I have had the pleasure of plain air painting in the Orient, Europe, Mexico, all over the U.S. ,the Caribbean and as of this writing am working on a very large Murel to be installed in Waco Texas and a sculpture project to be installed on the waterfront in Rockport.
As an aside, during the covid period, I began spinning yarn on a spinning wheel then took up knitting, crocheting and working on a loom. We are now covered with ill fitting socks large bedspreads, sweaters, wool caps, scarfs and hot pads.
In the past I built a hot glass shop complete with tools from scratch, added to a smith shop where I made knives from chain saw chains and cable from the oil field, built fountains from copper and bronze taken from wrecked shrimp boats, built a life size windswept oak from gas pipe lines, which promptly rusted to hell, however not before some white wing doves built a nest in it. My dad, brothers and I built several sailboats, then sailed them up and down the costal bend making friends in lots of ports.
Steve and Sherol Russell have shared their life together since the summer of ‘75. She is his inspiration, help mate and the love of his life. A pillar of strength and grace. She is also his biggest fan. The woman behind the artist, Sherol Russell. ( her name is really spelled that way.)
