Winter’s Bloom
Sofie Contemporary Arts

Bill’s Florals, Slot Canyons and Icebergs were shown recently at Sofie Contemporary Arts in Calistoga, California.

Comments from  Jan Sofie, Gallerist:
Bill Russell’s “Floral Series” exhibits a generous affection for the natural world and places the birds and flowers of his attention in composed scatterings, often on a flat field for scrutiny like a charming abbreviated guidebook. His large-scale paintings of four of the magnificent Slot Canyons in Utah – Antelope, Willis, Dry Fork and Mind Canyons – portray dark and vigorous brush outlines of major forms that appear supernatural in hue, but actually radiate their true pigments of earth. Selections from Ice Show, Russell’s recent installation at the Marin Museum of Contemporary Art, depict a dramatic fire and ice landscape, inspired by the artist’s recent trip to Iceland and his fascination with the place and its obvious signs of global warming. Several works depict icebergs that have broken away from the melting polar icecap, becoming vivid novel forms as they slowly thaw. Strange characters also appear in the paintings – in kayaks, on a Nordic sailing ship, or as bathing-capped swimmers treading the inhospitable waters – and these add an ironic twist to worlds of ancient beauty alongside the harsh awareness of humankind’s impact.”