Artist paints everything from local landscapes to chicken illustrations!

by Janet Keeler Wilcox If you want to see Richard Russel’s masterpieces you don’t have to travel far: Monticello, Blanding and Monument Valley all have his paintings on display.  There are six murals in the entryway of the Monticello Elementary School and two murals in the Monument Valley Elementary School. The Utah Navajo Health Systems Blanding Clinic also displays many of his paintings. Richard has always enjoyed art and won many competitions in his early years. As an elementary student he displayed a natural talent for art but once was disqualified from a competition because the judge was convinced he must have had help with the drawing!    Ironically, as Richard entered high school, he felt it would be more practical to pursue other interests and stopped taking any art classes completely.  “It was torture!” he remembers. “l soon found the margins of my schoolwork covered in drawings and quickly realized I needed art in my life and decided if I couldn’t live without art, I needed to be fully in.”  As a senior in high school, he took all the art classes he could and was a Sterling Scholar in art winning second place in the state art competition. Growing up he became very interested in narrative painting – art that tells a story or captured a moment. He first completed a year at the University of Utah then transferred to Brigham Young University (BYU), where he was accepted into the Illustration program.  This was his preference because of its emphasis on design, storytelling, and academic painting. Richard graduated from BYU with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in illustration and received the Dean’s Award from the Humanities department.  “I had several great instructors during that time, but I was heavily influenced by the enthusiasm and skill of Ralph Barksdale. Ralph was a graduate of the Art Center College of Design and was heavily influenced by artists such as Dean Cornwell, N. C. Wyeth, and John Singer Sargent.” Those early, as well as later, school years prepared Richard for his life work of being a productive and skilled artist.   His resume of accomplishments and awards is extensive. Richard has earned dozens of awards over the years but of highest distinction is three Director’s Awards of Excellence from the Oil Painters of America, awarded in 2007, 2008 and 2009. He also was a winner in the Eleventh LDS International Art Competition and was featured at the LDS Church History Museum in Salt Lake City in 2019. For the past few years, he has also taught several local workshops or “paint nights” at his studio in Blanding. These are “everyone-is-welcome” classes for all skill levels,” he explained.  “I walk people through the process and everyone learns a little about painting.  By the end of the night, they have a canvas they’ve created they can take home!”      However, one of the most delightful places to see his illustrations are in the books his wife Josi has written: The Aloha Chicken Mysteries.  “We have enjoyed collaborating on the series together and I have created all 18 of the covers and all the interior illustrations.” Richard has also done illustrations for the monthly magazine of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, now named the Liahona. One of those illustrations featured Phil and Lou Mueller.  COMMISSIONED ART WORK: 2019 Utah Navajo Health Systems, San Juan County, Utah: Three locations--Blue Mountain Clinic, Montezuma Creek Clinic, Monument Valley Clinic 2014 San Juan School District, San Juan County, Utah, Monticello Elementary School 2011 San Juan School District, San Juan County, Utah, Tsébii’nidzisgai Elementary School 1999 Saffire Corporation, American Fork, Utah AWARDS 2014 City of Estes Park Award; Plein Air Rockies 2013 First Place and Purchase Award Castle Creek Winery QuickDraw; Plein Air Moab 2013 Honorable Mention; Plein Air Moab 2009 Director’s Award of Excellence; Oil Painters of America 18TH National Juried Exhibition of Traditional Oils 2008 Director’s Award of Excellence; Oil Painters of America 17TH National Juried Exhibition of Traditional Oils 2007 Southwest Art Award of Excellence; Oil Painters of America 2007 President’s Award of Excellence; Central Regional Exhibition 2006 Zhiwei Tu OPAM Oil Painters of America 15th Annual National Juried Exhibition of Traditional Oils 2005 Professional Category 3rd Place Award; Utah State Fair Fine Arts Competition 2005 3rd Place Award; Utah County Spring Arts Show 2004 Merit Award; Utah County Spring Arts Show - -SELECTED EXHIBITIONS 2021 Inspirational Art Association: 2021: Christmas Art Showcase, Salt Lake City, Utah 2021 August: Plein Air Rockies, Estes Park, Colorado, 2020 Inspirational Art Association: 2020 Christmas Art Showcase, Salt Lake City, Utah: 2019 December: Inspirational Art Association: 2019: Christmas Art Showcase, Salt Lake City, Utah: 2019 December Plein Air Moab, Moab, Utah October 2019 95th Annual Spring Salon; Springville Museum of Art; Springville, Utah; 2018 Plein Air Rockies, Estes Park, Colorado, 2018 August: Inspirational Art Association: 2018 December: Christmas Art Showcase, Salt Lake City, Utah: 2017: Oil Painters of America 26TH National Juried Exhibition of Traditional Oils, Cincinnati, OH 2016 May: Plein Air Rockies, Estes Park, Colorado, 2015 August: 100 Beautiful People: Portraits by Richard Lance Russell; Finch Lane Gallery, Salt Lake City, Utah 2015 August: Plein Air Rockies, Estes Park, Colorado 2015 August: Plein Air Fest 2015; National Museum of Wildlife Art, Jackson Hole, Wyoming; 2015 June: Celebrating Rocky Invitational Art Show; Cultural Arts Council of Estes Park, Estes Park, Colorado; 2014 October: Oil Painters of America, 2014: Western Exhibition, Mountain Song Galleries, Carmel-By-The-Sea, California; 2014 September: Plein Air Rockies, Estes Park, Colorado, 2014 August: Plein Air Fest 2014; National Museum of Wildlife Art, Jackson Hole, Wyoming; 2014 June: Praiseworthy Arts Easter Art Show, Salt Lake City, Utah; 2013 April: Plein Air Moab, Main Street Gallery, Moab, Utah; 2012 October: “Truth, Mirth, and Turmoil: Shakespeare Paintings by Richard Lance Russell,” Solo Exhibition, Utah Shakespeare Festival; Cedar City, Utah; 2012 June-November: Salon International 2012: A Juried Exhibition of Oil Paintings Seeking and Promoting Artistic Excellence; International Museum of Contemporary Masters of Fine Art; Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art; San Antonio, Texas; 2012 April: Ninth International Art Competition; Church History Museum; Salt Lake City; 2011 March-October: 26th Annual Spiritual and Religious Art of Utah Exhibition; Springville Museum of Fine Art; 2011 October: Springville, Utah; Close to Home: Paintings by Richard Lance Russell; Gallery East; Price, Utah; 2009 October: Oil Painters of America 18TH National Juried Exhibition of Traditional Oils;Santa Fe, New Mexico; May 2008: Oil Painters of America 17TH National Juried Exhibition of Traditional Oils, Richard Lance Russell Missoula, Montana; May 2007: Rising Stars Exhibition; Joe Wade Fine Arts; Santa Fe, New Mexico; September 2007: Oil Painters of America 2007 Central Regional Exhibition; September 2007: Topeka, Kansas; 83rd Annual Spring Salon; Springville Museum of Art; Springville, Utah; April 2006 Rising Stars Exhibition; September 2007: Joe Wade Fine Arts; Santa Fe, New Mexico; 2006: Salon International: International Museum of Contemporary Masters of Fine Art; Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art; San Antonio, Texas; May 2006: Oil Painters of America 15th Annual National Juried Exhibition of Traditional Oils; Missoula, Montana 2005: Two-Man Show; Utah County Gallery; Provo, Utah August 2005: Featuring the Art of Richard Lance Russell; Solo Show; Freedom Gallery; Provo, Utah July 2005: Salon International; International Museum of Contemporary Masters of Fine Art; May 2005: Rising Stars: Six of the Most Collectible Young Artists in America Exhibition; Joe Wade Fine Arts; Santa Fe, New Mexico; September May 2005: Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art; San Antonio, Texas; Utah County Spring Arts Show; Utah County Gallery May 2005: Inspirational Art Association May 2005: Christmas Art Showcase, Salt Lake City, Utah May 2005: Plein Air Moab, Moab, Utah April 2004: Utah County Spring Arts Show; Utah County Gallery; Provo, Utah April 2002: 78TH Annual Spring Salon; Springville Museum of Art; Springville, Utah April 1998: New York Society of Illustrators Show; New York, New York May 1997: New York Society of Illustrators Show; Society of Illustrators; New York, New York

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