Here and Now – Russell Steven Powell

Pylons 2, Russell Steven Powell oil on canvas, 16x20 — Pylons 2, oil on canvas, 16×20

HERE AND NOW

Abstract 82, Russell Steven Powell oil on canvas, 30x24 — Abstract 82, oil on canvas, 30×24

THERE IS a journalistic element to my artwork. I am telling a story in the best way I know how, about the age and place I live in, in something resembling real time.

Campsite, Russell Steven Powell oil on canvas, 16x12 — Campsite, oil on canvas, 16×12

THIS IS both privilege and obligation. My job is to witness, record, and try to make sense of my experience — not just for my own edification, but to the benefit of others. My aim is to capture and share something of the beauty, love, and mystery I see and feel in this miraculous life, antidotes to fear and despair.

The inspiration for these stories is sometimes obvious, sometimes not. I can better express my inner world with pictures than words. The results are sometimes enigmatic, unfiltered and raw, but more honest, less self-serving than my heavily edited rationalizations.

Abstract 80, Russell Steven Powell oil on canvas, 24x36 — Abstract 80, oil on canvas, 24×36

I PAINT every day. I work on several canvases at once, so that I can paint on one while others dry. I revisit earlier canvases that are either incomplete, incoherent, or simply not good enough, and I create new ones, inspired by the moment.