ART FROM NATURE - AN INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED SCULPTOR IN CALIFORNIA'S SIERRA NEVADA MOUNTAINS.
INTERVIEW WITH DONALD RUSSEL, #3 ON OUR LIST OF 25 RECOMMENDED ARTISTS FOR 2019.
Tell us about yourself and background.
A native Californian, I grew up in the 1940’s and 50’s in the small rural country town of San Anselmo. Even as a child I was drawn to the wonders of nature surrounding me; the beauty found in rock formations and tree roots intertwined with river rocks. Nature’s art was all around and so inspiring. In my early working years I was always employed in positions which involved creative work with my hands. Then approximately 20 years ago, I began sculpting in the natural wood and rock resources which remain the base for my artistic creativity.
Tell us about your work.
I create sculptures in stone and wood, ranging from small pieces suitable for a residential coffee table, to large works more appropriate for the entrance to a corporate office building or foyer of a hotel. I really enjoy working with natural rock shapes and wood formations such as manzanita root burl. The burl being a really hard wood with incredible grain patterns cuts and polishes superbly. The Arizona petrified wood log sections that I sculpt and polish have the most beautiful color and also polish excellently. Whilst I am drawn to fluid flowing lines with seemingly endless continuity, my works look to capture both the symmetry and asymmetry of all that occurs in the natural world around us
"I create sculptures in stone and wood, ranging from small pieces suitable for a residential coffee table, to large works more appropriate for the entrance to a corporate office building or foyer of a hotel."
What makes your work and approach unique?
Working with very hard stones such as granite or agate, a quartz mineral found in petrified wood, is an extremely difficult process. On the Mohs scale, petrified wood has a 7.5 hardness value, while Jade being a semi-precious stone, is 8 to 8.5.
As a result of this there are very few stone carvers willing to invest the time to achieve what I undertake. Sculpting my petrified wood and granite creations is an extremely labor intensive procedure as it is much easier to polish a flat surface than a contoured one.
Why is your work a good investment?
I am a carver/artist, and have been working with my hands for over 50 years. Because of the style of my work and the limitations of the materials I am working with, few senior artists do what I do and even fewer younger artists are moving into this niche of sculpting. Therefore, my work has great potential for growth in value and I consider any of them to be a sound investment.
What makes your work and approach unique?
Working with very hard stones such as granite or agate, a quartz mineral found in petrified wood, is an extremely difficult process. On the Mohs scale, petrified wood has a 7.5 hardness value, while Jade being a semi-precious stone, is 8 to 8.5.
As a result of this there are very few stone carvers willing to invest the time to achieve what I undertake. Sculpting my petrified wood and granite creations is an extremely labor intensive procedure as it is much easier to polish a flat surface than a contoured one.
Why is your work a good investment?
I am a carver/artist, and have been working with my hands for over 50 years. Because of the style of my work and the limitations of the materials I am working with, few senior artists do what I do and even fewer younger artists are moving into this niche of sculpting. Therefore, my work has great potential for growth in value and I consider any of them to be a sound investment.
"My true inspiration comes directly from nature in the natural rock shapes and wood formations with which I work."
Tell us about some of your achievements.
I have presented my sculptures at many group and Individual shows including the Gem and Mineral Show in Tucson Arizona, an event that draws visitors and art collectors from around the world. The Tucson show features a talented group of world class artists and at this venue I have sold my sculptures to natural art museums in China and Japan, as well as to private and corporate art collectors around the world.
What are your sources of inspiration?
Although I was inspired in my early years by the abstract works of Henry Moore, I am a self- taught sculptor. This allows me total freedom of expression without reflecting the influence of formal teachers. My true inspiration comes directly from nature in the natural rock shapes and wood formations with which I work. Elements such as a teak bench, fashioned from a tree stump originating in Java. The Huangyang Décor Tree Root sculptures, with their roots intertwined in natural granite rock, which do indeed come from China, and the Manzanita burls, found in Baja, California. All of these elements, from various land developments, evoke nature, whilst also speaking to “modern progress” as they were salvaged from areas cleared for development, where their beauty would otherwise be lost. I truly feel a part of nature when I am working with such beautiful and evocative rescued materials.
What are you passionate about.
I love to hike and explore in areas both close to home and further afield. I am passionate about all the beautiful and unique places that are available to us to visit. I am a strong believer in environmental protection and the preservation of our National Parks and open spaces.
"Other future plans involve a return to my abstract background with a large marble sculpture that will incorporate a 20” obsidian sphere."
Tell us the back story of one of your projects.
Thoughts of materials and inspirations for future art works are never far from my mind, and while hiking and exploring with my son in the vicinity of the Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve in Guerneville, California, we came across a property which was being prepared for modern development. As part of the development, the stump of a huge “old growth” giant redwood tree was being removed. I realized immediately that here was the potential to find raw material for a future sculpting project. Through discussions and negotiation with the contractor performing the stump removal work, I was able to choose a large slab of redwood from the stump of this giant redwood tree which was estimated to be approximately 2,000 years old.
Share with us your upcoming projects.
In complete contrast to my typical abstract works, I am currently sculpting a lifelike figure of a standing bison from a marble block measuring 48”x44”x22” and weighing 3,600 lbs. Other future plans involve a return to my abstract background with a large marble sculpture that will incorporate a 20” obsidian sphere. As part of my Autumn Leaf series, another future work will include a leaf sculpture derived from a redwood slab measuring 9’ long x 3’ wide and tapering from 12’’ to 6” deep.
The slab is cut from the stump of an “old growth” California giant redwood tree as mentioned earlier. The live tree was over 12 feet in diameter and was believed to have been originally felled in the late 1800’s.
Tell us the back story of one of your projects.
Thoughts of materials and inspirations for future art works are never far from my mind, and while hiking and exploring with my son in the vicinity of the Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve in Guerneville, California, we came across a property which was being prepared for modern development. As part of the development, the stump of a huge “old growth” giant redwood tree was being removed. I realized immediately that here was the potential to find raw material for a future sculpting project. Through discussions and negotiation with the contractor performing the stump removal work, I was able to choose a large slab of redwood from the stump of this giant redwood tree which was estimated to be approximately 2,000 years old.
Share with us your upcoming projects.
In complete contrast to my typical abstract works, I am currently sculpting a lifelike figure of a standing bison from a marble block measuring 48”x44”x22” and weighing 3,600 lbs. Other future plans involve a return to my abstract background with a large marble sculpture that will incorporate a 20” obsidian sphere. As part of my Autumn Leaf series, another future work will include a leaf sculpture derived from a redwood slab measuring 9’ long x 3’ wide and tapering from 12’’ to 6” deep.
The slab is cut from the stump of an “old growth” California giant redwood tree as mentioned earlier. The live tree was over 12 feet in diameter and was believed to have been originally felled in the late 1800’s.
"Artistic expression can be appreciated by all nationalities, people of all creeds, skin color, or any other restriction placed on our lives by “modern” man."
Tell us about where you are based.
Having been raised in a small rural country town, my love of the countryside has endured and I now live with my artist wife Mary and our dog Daisy on a four acre country property in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in beautiful Nevada County, California. The pond on the property and the unspoiled surrounding countryside are home to many species of wild creatures. Deer, foxes, coyotes and even the occasional cougar roam across the property. It is in this pristine country environment that I draw the stimulation for my continued artistic creations.
How do you feel about art and its role in the world today?
Art is one of the few entities in our world that knows no borders, no skin colors and no spoken language. Artistic expression can be appreciated by all nationalities, people of all creeds, skin color, or any other restriction placed on our lives by “modern” man.
How do you want your Art to affect the viewer?
As I create each of my wood carvings or rock sculptures, it is my hope that viewers will appreciate, the inner splendor and magnificence of the beautiful wood grain or exquisite rock composition which my sculpting and carving has revealed, and enhanced.
Website: naturesart2000.com
| PDF of the Interview in DESTIG Magazine |