Various Mediums of my Art through the Timeline of my Life
In the Beginning.......(it sounds so Biblical)
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My earliest recollection of doing anything Art related was doing a report and drawings of a Baltimore Oriole and a Scarlet Tanager in 5th grade. I was copying Old English lettering around that time as well. I wanted to be an Architect, due to our house and that whole Frank Lloyd Wright coming from Chicago. So Drafting in High-School went a long way in creating my roots for perspective. Which tended to work well painting the many Snowy Barn Paintings in my 20s. I ended up taking a Freehand Drawing course followed by a Painting class in College with Dr. Phyllis Kozlowski, who was a definite life changer for me. After a few more semi-private classes with her, I followed it up with a few classes at the American Art Academy in Chicago. From then on it's been self-taught in everything other than a Pottery Class at the Art Institute of Kansas City at 40.
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Watercolors
Besides Freehand Drawing and Drafting, Watercolors were my first attempt at creating Art. Painting Snowy Landscapes and Old Barns of my native Illinois Farmlands. My prolific and earlier "Barns by Russ" era.
I still enjoy painting nature and have developed a fondness for accurate Botanical replications. Currently, my watercolors employ my wet-into-wet "Cloud" techniques for a whimsical, fluid approach, creating the more modern, contemporary pieces that I have been recently showing. Most utilizing multi-medium elements.
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Leaded Glass
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My involvement into leaded glass came when my brother-in-law through a lamp project away, literally. I completed it for sister Diane, broken pieces and all, only now with more "Character". My early interests were definitely directed by Ludwig Schaffrath's work. Left to my own devices, I will normally create modern, colorful, bold pieces. But, much of my glass has also been client driven. Some I get to direct the movement, others, not so much. But even the Lobsters and the Oak Trees are still my own personal designs. And I love client collaboration in all my mediums. My current pieces employ Fused Glass elements and other mediums.
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Corporate and Product Design
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The middle of my life had weaving's and some painting and glass but mostly Designing Product, Displays, Literature and Trade Show Exhibits for the very glamorous Decorative Hardware Industry. Packaging and Presentation were paramount at The Broadway Collection and Grohe, a major worldwide faucet manufacturer. Learning about printing & photography was another eye opening experience since it was still being done before digital art. Designing the handle for the very elegant line of Talia faucetry was most definitely a high point backed by the many decades of practicing Freehand Drawing.
Hand-Painted Tiles
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After doing hundreds of installs of Julie Whitehead's and Mark McMahon's creations, I purchased a kiln and designed and created my own custom murals. I also created an interest in the Tuscan Majolica Ceramic Dinnerware designs, and how they can apply to Kitchen Backsplash Tiles. This was also the first time that I started mixing fused glass elements on Ceramic Bisqued tiles. Although Hand-Painted tiles are really not in vogue anymore, Tuscan Majolica as well as the timeless homespun Quilt Patterns will always be viable designs.
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Fused Glass
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I have several small modular Fused Tile designs that I normally add to my Leaded Glass Designs. The Venetian and US Fused Glass sheets are unfortunately, prohibitively expensive for large scale work. Most of my Fused Glass have been smaller dishes for rings and jewelry and table platters. My future direction is to incorporate larger pieces of basic 1/4" plate glass, fused, painted and textured. Within the designs of Custom Backsplashes. Incorporating elements of textured ceramic panels and stone within repetitive, connecting, modular patterns. The biggest market coming from Architects looking for the newer Textural Wall Look.
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Clay for Molds, 3D Murals, Textural Backsplashes and Spoon-rests
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Knowing that I did not wish to be a Potter, nonetheless I enrolled for a class at the Art Institute of Kansas City, worldwide known for its Ceramic Department. The experience of the facility and it's abilities as well as the phenomenal creativity of the students was mind altering. My initial efforts with clay were in the creation of the molds for my fused glass platters. Most Artists seem to be focused on the glass and not the slumping vehicle. So I incorporate the mold itself as part of the design. Creating clay with a higher amount of Mullite for heat durability. The 3D Murals and the Textured Backsplashes are somewhat of the same vein just different directions of Design. Spoon-rests are a creation by "guilt" after breaking a gift from Italy from Mom.