Monday, June 13, 2011

A Word from the Artist...

I am an artist who has been through more than I care to think about, but I believe it has shaped me into the kind of person I am today, and also the artist I have become. My artwork has changed over the years, and I have done work I swore I would never do. Needless to say, I no longer judge what is considered good or bad art. Art is incredibly subjective. 

This blog was created to showcase my artwork. Some of you may remember that I used to have a website, but due to circumstances beyond my control I had to close it down. That was a hard day for me, but life continues and I have a found that it is all good in the long run. My husband's bout with cancer and chemotherapy sapped not only our money but it also sapped me of my energy, focus, and motivation. I couldn't concentrate on keeping up a website at that time anyway, and my time is still considerably limited, so this blog is the best way to go. It is actually a relief. :)

You may notice that the only piece that has my full name (April A. Meyette Russell) is my latest piece - "The Catalyst." Before that I only used my maiden name as I had work previous to getting married and so I just kept the name going for my art. After my husband's cancer, I added it to my art name. His support and encouragement is why I continue with my art. During the first half of the cancer nightmare I stopped working on my art and it was he who encouraged me to continue. He's a huge part of my life and I love him dearly. To not sign his last name with mine on my artwork any longer would go against my very being. I simply can't do it any more. 

So here is a small sample of my work. If you care to contact me in regards to buying a print, asking about commission work, or purchasing an original piece, please email me at aprilarussell@gmail.com


Artist's Statement:
My passion is capturing the essence of life around me in the form of drawing and painting. Artwork is my form of communication. It is how I convey the messages I want to speak. I relay my thoughts, my convictions, my questions, my struggles, my hopes, my fears, my emotions through my art. This is where my inspiration derives from. Art carries a life of it's own for me. It is in every fiber of my being and I can not imagine my life without a paintbrush or pencil in my hand. My goal is for the viewer to see the soul of my work, to "hear" the message it is speaking, and to be touched by the "words" only the heart can understand. This is to experience art.

Graphite Work

Graphite is probably my favorite medium to work with. It was the first medium I started out with and my love for it has only grown. Black and white work lends itself well to creating high contrast and dramatic appearance, which in turn helps portray messages in an even greater way. The simple pencil can create such intricate, dramatic images full on subtle tones and detailing.

There aren't as many graphite pieces shown here as there are paintings for the simple reason that my graphite work is generally large with extreme intricate detailing. It generally takes me about one hour to do one square inch.



Title: "The Catalyst"
Medium: graphite
Size: 30 x 39 inches

“The Catalyst” was started 3 years ago and without intention has become part of a series that began in 2006 with my drawing “He Is.” It started with the girl’s eye on a large blank stark white board. There were no guidelines, tick marks, or outlines in which to follow. I started with her eye and it evolved from that point. While I used models for the general stance, I did not rely on my references - changing and adding things to portray the message I wanted to convey. I worked without knowing what was coming next, choosing instead to trust my instincts and follow my heart.

“The Catalyst” has a lot of history and it only adds to the impact this drawing has on me. It was started while we were living in a different state and has traveled across country when we moved back to our home state of Michigan. I was working on it when we learned of my husband’s diagnosis of cancer and during his chemo. I finished it after receiving the good report of him being cancer free. “The Catalyst” has taken on a whole new meaning for me and I hope the good reports continue. One thing I can tell you is that this journey has been one I don't want to relive. I want to let this one go on its own and have it continue the artistic cycle. I've done my part and leave it to follow it's own journey.

Everything in “The Catalyst” has more than one meaning. It is all symbolic and is left up to the viewer for interpretation.

Finished May 28th, 2010


Here are a few progress shots of "The Catalyst" - 


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Title: “He Is”
Medium: Graphite
Size: 20 x 29.5 inches

Prints are now available of "He Is"! Contact me if you would like to purchase a print of this.

Full size, limited edition, signed (only 500 prints) - $179.99
16x23.45 - $59.99
18x26.4 - $79.99
8x11.73 - $19.99
5x7.33 - $9.99

The history of “He Is” – It was finished February, 2007 and took 11 months to complete. It estimates around 1 square inch an hour to work on a drawing such as this. This is a drawing that I have had in my mind to do for many years but never worked on. The timing wasn’t right for it all those years until I finally felt it was time. “He Is” is my rendition of how Jesus Christ is, put in a modern setting. I used 4 different people as models and made a composite to create the image you see. I used even myself as a model. Everything is symbolic and has multiple meanings. There are more meanings than even I can decipher. The background was created out of memory of things I have seen. I did not use reference on it.

“He Is” was selected to hang in a prominent gallery in Naples, FL and won an award.  


Progress Shots of "He Is" - 



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Title: "Conscience"
Size: 6x12.75 inches
Medium: graphite pencils

You can get a print of "Conscience"! Contact me if you would like to buy a print of this.

“Conscience” will is offered as a full size (6x13 inches), limited edition, signed print. 1000 prints will be made and that is it. The price is $39.99

The history of "Conscience" - It was finished in 2006 and took 2 months to complete. It estimates around 1 square inch an hour to work on a drawing such as this. "Conscience" was selected out of thousands of international art submissions to hang in a major gallery and hung in Punta Gorda, FL.


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Title: Essence
Size: 5x8.5 inches
Medium: Graphite


I wanted to show just an essence of a person, so only drew a partial face. The rest is left to your own imagination. What do you see about this person? Done 12/2005

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Title: The Living Window
Size: 11x14 inches
Medium: Graphite


It is said that the eye is the window to the soul. What can you see about the soul within this eye?
This was harder than I first anticipated because this eye is so large, but I enjoyed every minute of it. It took me two and a half months to complete. Finished 1/2006

Abstract Work

My abstract work will range from large to small in differing mediums. Sometimes I like to work in just watercolor or oil, but most of the time I prefer to mix it all up in a mixed-media piece, building up a lot of texture and detail. Abstract for me is a break from the intense intricate drawings, a way to explore my thoughts on man's futile efforts to control the world around us by creating materials that are "stronger and better", yet no matter how grand the material is, it will always succumb to power of God and nature, going back to the earth as dust.

Title: "Chasm"
Medium: Mixed Media
Size: 6 x 9 inches
Finished: February 19, 2010

This piece was created while going through the struggles of my husband having cancer and undergoing chemotherapy. There's watercolor, colored pencil, ink, acrylic, and then at the very end I threw on some of the coffee I was drinking.

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Title: "Resolute"
Medium: watercolor
Size: 6 x 9 inches
Finished: February 25, 2010 

Another piece I did while my husband was undergoing chemotherapy.

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Title: "Rift"
Medium: Acrylic and Oil paint
Size: 4x5 inches
Finished: February 18, 2010
Yet another during the trying time with chemotherapy...


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And another during that time..... "Suspended" has a whole hodgepodge of fun things in it, and of course I had to add some coffee too! :D

Title: Suspended
Medium: Mixed Media
Size: 6 x 9 inches
Finished: 1/27/2010

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Title: Untitled
Medium: Mixed media
Size: 12x18 inches
Finished: 1/15/2010

This one was the first that I did during the time my husband was battling cancer and chemotherapy. The nightmare began in August and from August until this time (January) I hadn't been able to create anything. This one was started because I was full of nervous energy and I had to do something. This was the result and was the beginning of a slough of small paintings, which are posted above.

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Title: Disillusioned
Size: 12 x 24 inches
Medium: mixed media
Finished: June 11, 2009
This one is full of texture. At first I didn't like it but now it has become a favorite. :)

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I am exploring the ideas of man-made industrial materials succumbing to the natural laws of God and nature, as well as the dichotomy of realism and abstract elements. Is it abstract? Is it realism? Is it alive? Is it dying? Only the viewer can determine that for themselves, and I won't take that experience away from them. It is what it is for them. 

This painting has a lot of questions in it for me. A lot of extremes, symbolic meaning, texture, feeling.....and the questions that these things stir within me. It is a searching.....

Title: "Reclaimed"
Medium: Acrylic and Oil paints
Size: 24x30 inches

 
This painting was on exhibition in the Visual Arts Center National Art Exhibit 2008 in Punta Gorda, FL in February and March.

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Title: "Redemption"
Medium: Mixed media (graphite, watercolor, and coffee)
Size: 6.25 x 10.25 inches

Finished: 10/2007

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I used graphite, watercolor, and coffee.

Title: "Broken"
Medium: mixed media
Size: 6.5 x 10.5 inches

2007

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Title: "Authentic Sacrifice"
Medium: mixed media (watercolor and coffee)
Size: 3.5 x 2.5 inches

This picture is the size of the actual piece.

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The top black line is not angled. Unfortunately my camera has distorted that. It is actually perpendicular and straight.

Title: "Addiction"
Size: 6 x 13.5 inches
Medium: Mixed Media 

2007

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Title: "Crumbling - A Study in Textures"
Medium: mixed media (acrylic and oil paint)
Size: 5 x 7 inches

2007 

Representational Paintings

This is just a small sample of my representational paintings. While I am very skilled at painting representational work in many form of media and style, I now prefer to paint in abstract form.

Here is a rare self-portrait. I am not fond of doing self-portraits, and I highly doubt I'll do many more. I just don't like staring at myself in a mirror for so long.
Done 8/2006
"Self-Portrait" is done in oil on canvas and is 8x10 inches.

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This is my rendering of John Singer Sargent's oil painting Madame X. John Singer Sargent is one of my favorite artists of all time. He was a master painter of portraits and is most known for the society portraits that he did. He considered his painting "Madame X" to be his very best, even though the portrait created a great scandel at the time. I painted this in watercolor.
"My Rendition of Sargent's Madame X" is 3.5x2.5 inches. It is in my personal collection.

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While working hard and steadily on a very large detailed graphite drawing, it can become overwhelming, and a short break is needed to loosen up. A change in medium can be just the trick to relax and rejuvenate me, helping me refocus back on the highly detailed work at hand. That's how this painting came to be. I took 2 days off to paint this, and it was just the thing I needed. I found a reference photo for the girl and started painting. Many thanks to the model.
Done in 2006.
"Reading" is oil paint of canvas. It is 8x10 inches.