Ron Russon “Two Watched by Three” Oil

Ron Russon was born and raised in a rural area outside of Salt Lake City and continues to live and work on a farm.  He is surrounded by the Wasatch Mountains, many farms, and acres of cultivated ground. As a youngster, he never took art too seriously, or considered it as a viable career. But when he attended Utah Valley Community College, and took a basic drawing class, and something about it felt right.  He was accepted into the Illustration Design program at Brigham Young University and, as he puts it, “didn’t get fired, so I kept going.” In addition to the dairy farm, Russon maintained two other jobs to pay for his schooling.

Russon became a freelance illustrator and gained several clients. His commercial art career was cut short after painting an acrylic Uncle Sam wrapping a smiling house in red tape; the editor’s “art consciousness” was problematic and Russon’s internal struggle to paint creatively pushed him back to his rural roots of farms and wildlife. Now, Russon paints what he wants to: his life pursuits and hobbies are portrayed on canvas. Listening to bluegrass or space-pop, he paints in oil employing a loose brush and pallet knife to varied scenes, from a serene resting tractor in a wind rowed field of hay to a cacophony of geometric colors creating luminescent bison.  Through both abstraction and realism, his art reflects his relationship with nature and his communication with the outdoors.

Russon’s work is exhibited all over the West and each year he participates in many local and national exhibitions. This year he was chosen for the 2008 Hogel Zoo poster. Visit the Hogle Zoo site to see his painting and purchse a poster. Stop by the gallery to view the new works by Ron Russon. You’ll find his textures and color captivating.

Tags: Hogle Zoo, Ron Russon
Posted in Gallery News