Keith
Russell, the July artist at Second Story Gallery, has a fascination with
cars. His car portraits show off each
model's curves and details. And even
though the cars are standing perfectly still in his portraits, they look like
they could go zero to 60 at a moment's notice.
 |
| 1956 Buick Roadmaster |
Perhaps
Russell visualizes himself at the wheel.
He was born Feb. 15, 1955, just 45 minutes late for Valentine's day, and
he says he's been somewhat late ever since.
That
tendency to run late is not why the artist's reception has been moved to the
second Friday in July however. It's delayed
because the gallery, upstairs in the Camas Public Library, will be dark for First
Friday due to the Fourth of July holiday.
The car
exhibit, called "Cruise In--to See Reflection Paintings by Keith,"
will be open for viewing during regular library hours starting July 2 and
continuing through July 31. The
reception for the artist, with live music by Caryn Jamieson, will be held
Friday, July 10, from 5 to 7 p.m. in the gallery. This is a special date and time for the month
of July only.
The
month-long show featuring paintings of classic automobiles will coincide with
the real car show taking place along 4th Avenue Saturday, July 11, sponsored by the Downtown Camas
Association. In fact, Russell will be streetside
at the car show offering more car paintings and letting people know about his
on-going exhibit at Second Story Gallery.
Russell says
his interest in art started early and remembers asking his mother for a variety
of oil paints and brushes before the age of five, although he was told he'd
have to make do with his color crayons instead.
But the young Russell had an inner drive to be an artist. He took his older brothers' model car paints,
grabbed an old paint-by-number canvas and used his toy horses as models without a lot of
thought about the consequences.
Russell says
his mother was so impressed with his finished work that she protected him from
his brothers when they got home from school.
And, somehow, his mother was able to work the cost of some tubes of oil
paint and brushes into the family budget for his fifth birthday.
Throughout his
growing-up years Russell says he took every art class that he could, including correspondence
classes from Famous Artists School, financed with the help of his mother's Avon
sales. Throughout junior high and high school
art classes helped to boost his GPA.
Russell went on to choose a rather artistic college major and has made a
career of mechanical engineering.
The artist
has resided in Camas for the last 28 years and has shown his work at several local
businesses, First Friday events, Camas Days, and the Art, Wine & Music
Festivals. In 2008 he donated two
portraits of Lewis and Clark to Helen Baller Elementary School where they are
still being enjoyed by students and staff.
For the last
six years Russell has focused his artistic energy on a classic car series, in
acrylic and oil, using an impressionistic-realistic style. He has developed a technique for
capturing reflections on the surfaces of
cars that bring them off the canvas and onto the pavement. He lovingly applies his paint the way collectors
lovingly restore their automobiles. “Classic
cars are an American tradition and they are what I grew up loving; they are history,” says Russell, “the things that are the most
fun to paint are cars and sunsets, or cars in
the sunset.”
Artist's Reception
Friday, July 10
5-7 p.m.
Music provided by Caryn Jamieson
