From a young
age Russ Lawson has been (and still is), a student of the
great masters of painting. A native of Seattle Washington, he
studied at
the Burnley School of Art and Cornish School of Fine Art-- in
that city;
and after graduation, went on to New York City to study further
at the
School of Visual Arts. Russ became a working artist after these
studies
and had a successful career in New York where he had many commissions
and solo exhibitions. His work has been shown in galleries and
museums
on the East Coast, from Connecticut to Florida.
Over the
years, his work has evolved to become an amazing treat for
the viewer. His landscapes are grand in scale, dynamic and powerful.
In
portraiture, his work displays an uncanny ability to collaborate
with his
subject, creating an image that naturally brings out the deeper--hidden
nuances within that person. Whether painting landscapes or portraits,
his
work seems to convey a certain sense of connectedness with soul.
In the early
1990's, family obligations called him back to Seattle, where
he opened The Lawson Gallery in 'Bell town', Seattle's version
of New York's
Soho district. In the Spring of '93 he had a retrospective showing
of paintings
at that gallery. After several years of promoting talented artists,
Russ decided
in 1997 to devote more time to his own art. He found himself
drawn to the
compelling majesty of Washington's Cascade Mountains and moved
to the
town of Index, where he has been inspired to try to capture the
essence of
the ethereal, natural beauty of that area
The uniqueness
of his work is obvious--especially in vibrancy of color,
dimension, texture and scope. He invites the viewer into a plane
beyond the
ordinary world--into that place where nature and spirit are one--
into that
inner chi of power and peace within us all
Kate
Clark 9/99