Russell graduated with honors from the Connecticut Institute of Art in 1991 where he studied commercial art. Not able to find work he turned to his first love: oil painting.  Russell won his first award the “Presidents Choice award” from the Greenwich Art Society in Greenwich Connecticut and his first solo exhibition from the Stamford Art Association in Stamford Connecticut.

     At the age of twenty-two Russell made the first of three instructional videos for the Double Diamond Corp.  These videos cover watercolor painting, pen and ink drawing and airbrush painting and can be found in middle school through college libraries across the country.  Besides instructional videos Russell has taught classes and workshops for the American Society of Marine Artists, the Cape Cod Art Association and the Cultural Center of Cape Cod.

    Russell's philosophy is based on a strong belief in plein air painting.  He says “The greatest education on painting I get are the hours I spend in the field with my easel observing and recording the natural world”.  He takes these experiences back to the studio which help him create a natural sense of light. In the studio he is then free to spend more time exploring the subtle nuances of a scene more deeply.

    Not one to produce a lot of paintings and unwilling to send out work that does not meet his high standards,  Russell limits himself to three galleries on Cape Cod.  Russell is represented exclusively by Aries East Gallery in Brewster, The Chatham Village Gallery in Chatham and Lance Walker Fine Art in Dennis.